


My Place or Yours?

by hawaiigal52



Series: Annum Cara Series [1]
Category: Ugly Betty
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:57:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 97,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawaiigal52/pseuds/hawaiigal52
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!</p><p>Post-series. Set in London. Detty, what else?</p><p>This was my 2nd story originally posted on Fanfiction in March of 2012. After this story, I did 2 other holiday one-shots in the same 'Anum Cara' universe, "The Secret Life of B's" and "Giving Thanks for the Little Things". I recently started the 4th in this series, called, "Moments of Claire-ity", which will take a look at Claire's early years with 'Brad' in London, when Daniel and Alex were young and when she first met Brandon (introduced in this story).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1-18

Title: My Place or Yours?  
Category: TV Shows » Ugly Betty  
Author: Betty the Bonita  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M  
Genre: Romance/Humor  
Published: 03-06-12, Updated: 05-11-12  
Chapters: 28, Words: 101,212

Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Meeting of the Minds

My Place or Yours?  
Chapter 1: Meeting of the Minds  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
Obviously, this is mostly from Daniel's point-of-view this time. After all, he is the one who gave up everything for Betty to chase after her, so I figured such a romantic gesture deserved some credit. No worries, we will definitely be hearing more from Betty's side in future! (We will also be listening in on their actual conversations, of course.)  
Daniel's POV  
Daniel didn't know how long he stood there on the steps of Trafalgar Square, just staring after her. He didn't realize just how goofy the big grin on his face was as he watched his best friend go confidently back to her dream job, leaving him there to just watch in wonder.  
He also didn't have a clue what he was actually going to "do" in England, now that he had made this grand gesture of following his best friend across an ocean, leaving behind his home, his family, his job, and most of all his sanity!  
No, there were a whole host of things Daniel Meade didn't know right now; things in his life were in such a state of utter upheaval. The one and only thing he did know for sure was-his mom, as usual, had been completely right about him and his 'feelings': he was definitely in love with Betty Suarez!  
He had tried desperately while he should have been sleeping on the Meade jet from New York to London to process his feelings for Betty and decide what he expected to accomplish by this trip to follow her.  
He only realized vaguely that he had to see her in person, to find a way to make her see how sorry he was for how he left things after he found out she was leaving him, to somehow try to make up for his inexcusable behavior…for his refusal to say goodbye to her, because he couldn't stand to see her go.  
He understood in his logical brain that she couldn't stay at Mode; she had outgrown her position there. She had made it clear it wasn't what she was really happy doing anymore. It had only been a stepping stone on her ultimate career path.  
In fact, had he been completely honest with himself, he would have seen that she had already stayed far longer than she normally would have. He knew that she felt compelled to stay for his sake. He needed her. He felt shame at just how needy he had become since Betty had first come into his life. He knew he had been the one to hold her back.  
When he first met her, she was so young, so naïve and utterly a fish-out-of-water in the world of high fashion. Betty had come into his life as some kind of a joke, he thought. He couldn't imagine what his father had been thinking hiring her as his son's new assistant. Then, Daniel started hearing the rumors and he understood. Hiring Betty had been his father's way of telling him to keep it in his pants and get some work done.  
He of course, in his usual selfish way had used poor Betty as an unsuspecting pawn in his bitter feud for control and respect with his father. He had stupidly listened to that Philippe, and been outright cruel to this sweet young girl. He knew she was smart and he hoped to just scare her away, so he could get back to his usual thin, blonde models that he could use to get him coffee and get him off. He fooled himself into believing he was doing her a favor in the long run by chasing her off. She clearly didn't belong at Mode.  
Then, after she stood there, in that ridiculous outfit, yelling at him, telling him off, something changed inside him. First of all, he saw her as a real person. She made him look at her as something more than just a prop in his life.  
But she also showed how courageous she was. It was like she was yelling at him that he needed to wake up and change his own life's path completely. That's exactly what she did, too. He recognized how much he had hurt her, and he came groveling to her. He traveled to Queens, and begged her forgiveness, and asked her to come back to work for him again.  
Things changed between them, and they grew to trust each other. He realized that she was the only one he really could trust in the 'shark tank' at Mode, so they became friends gradually. Over four years' time, they knew each other better than most married couples.  
They grew to care about one another, to know each other intimately, in every way except physically. They had never 'crossed that line' while she worked for Meade Publications. She had always been forbidden fruit. She was sweet, untouchable...at least, to him.  
Betty's POV-  
Betty didn't know what to think when she had bumped into Daniel on the steps across the street from her new job in London that day. He mind was going in a million directions at the same time. There was just way too much information for her to process right then and there. Especially for a girl like her, who always took time to consider her options, to weigh out the pros and cons before she made a decision.  
Of course, her time with Daniel Meade had changed her over the years. They had changed each other. She believed in him; and he believed in her. He had taught her to have faith in herself, to be bold and take a leap of faith. That is why she was there, trying out her wings across an ocean from her home and family. She knew she owed him that much-credit for learning to take chances. He had always encouraged her to have faith in herself, in her ideas and to believe that she could do anything.  
However, she didn't understand all the things he told her in their brief re-union. None of them made any sense. She knew she had hurt him when she didn't tell him she was leaving.  
Then, after he acted like a petulant child, refusing to accept her resignation, burning her contract, hiding from her, not saying goodbye to her…she had been upset, and angry, but mostly guilty. She knew he saw her taking the job as a rejection of him.  
Then, after a month, for him to show up like this, out of the blue, to follow her across an ocean just to apologize, to tell her he had resigned as the Editor-in-Chief of Mode in order to start a new life here in London of all places.  
Finally, he had asked her out on a date; not a dinner among friends, but a real date. She knew him well enough to recognize his behavior and expressions both on the steps that day and at Hilda's wedding. She could tell he was looking at her differently than he ever had before.  
Now, he was looking at her just like she had seen him look at countless other women over the years. She had always wondered what it would be like to be in their shoes, to have him look at her that way. Now, it seemed, after all these years, he was…and it terrified her.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2 A Touch of Betty

My Place or Yours?  
Chapter 2: A Touch of Betty  
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Ugly Betty!  
Daniel stood outside Betty's door, trying to get up the nerve to knock, adjusting his tie, fighting the dry feeling in his throat. He felt like an idiot, standing there, holding daisies, looking like the typical dork he and Becks used to make fun of, back in their hunting days. Payback was a bitch, he smirked at himself.  
As he hesitated, he suddenly heard cursing and then glass breaking. He leaned in, worried now that something not good was going on inside. He leaned against the door and called out, "Betty? Are you okay? Do you…need help?"  
He heard a soft cry from inside, "Daniel? You're…uh early."  
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay? Should I call the super or something? What's wrong?"  
"Um…that's okay. Just…give me a minute." She called out.  
He waited impatiently, then after five minutes that seemed like an eternity to him, he called out again, "Betty! I'm going to go get your super to let me in now. You're worrying me."  
"NO! I….just…give me…oh, shit!"  
He had never in four years heard Betty say that. He now knew something was definitely not right.  
"Betty, I swear, you are really scaring…"  
"Okay! But…you don't need to call the super. Just…there's a spare key with my neighbor, Marissa. She's in 3D, across the hall. Just tell her…I said 'Butterfly', and tell her who you are and she'll let you in or just give you the key. But…once you're in, just…wait, okay?"  
"Okay. I'll be right back." He leaned back, "Are you…hurt? Do I need to call 911 or whatever it is here?"  
"It's 999, but no. I'm not that bad. I just…can't move right now. But…hurry, okay?"  
"Okay. I'm coming. Hold on."  
He found the right door and knocked. A young, attractive woman peered through the peep hole, "Um…if you're a Mormon or a Seventh-day Adventist, no thanks...or are you sellin' something, luv? I must say, it must pay well!"  
"Hi, My name is Daniel Meade. I'm a friend of Betty Suarez-in the uh…flat across the hall. She's hurt herself and can't make it to the door. She said to tell you…uh…butterfly and you had her spare key."  
He heard the chain rattle and saw the woman come out and look him up and down appreciatively. She eyed the flowers he was holding at his side, "cute, but you look more like a roses man."  
He smiled, "Well, Betty likes daises. We were supposed to go out tonight, but…something's wrong. She won't exactly tell me what's up, but I heard glass breaking and she obviously can't get to the door for some reason. Do you…have her key? I'll have her give it back to you tomorrow or something. Thanks!"  
She just handed him the key and nodded, "No problem, luv. Let me know if Betty needs anything. Hope she's okay!"  
She looked as if she wanted to strike up a conversation, but Daniel was getting concerned that Betty might need medical attention so he just grabbed the key and ran to her flat. He stepped inside, laying the flowers on a small side table once he got inside.  
He yelled to Betty, "Okay, Betty. I'm in. Now what?"  
He heard water sloshing and more cursing coming from another part of the flat. "Betty? Where are you and…please tell me what's wrong. You've got me really worried! Are you sure I don't need to call…what was it you said 99…?"  
She sounded exasperated, "999! But…No! Don't….God! This is ridiculous!"  
"Betty? I'm coming to where I hear your voice. Are you…in the…bathroom? Did you fall or something?" He sounded hesitant. He wondered if she were in an embarrassing situation and had hurt herself.  
"I…wait! Don't come in here! Just…can you get my robe from the hook on my bedroom door first please and…throw it in here to me? I…I'm in the bathtub." She finally admitted.  
"Okay. Hang on." He found her robe and slowly opened her bathroom door, sticking his hand in with the robe before he walked in, with his hand over his eyes.  
He resisted the temptation to laugh at her predicament. "Did you…sprain your ankle or something in here? What's the problem? Did you get all excited about our date tonight and slip?" he couldn't help teasing her at least a little, but just smiled slyly, as he kept walking, keeping his eyes down, but inching towards the tub.  
She was trying not to laugh at him walking with his hand over his eyes, especially since she was in her own embarrassing situation. Once he was finally close enough, she grabbed the robe from his outstretched hand and put it on, the best she could, while in the tub.  
He tried his best not to peek…too much.  
"Okay, do you have it on yet? Are you decent? Can I take my hand down, please?"  
She rolled her eyes, "Yes!"  
He took down his hand and tried to stifle a laugh, but blinked in surprise, "Uh…how did that happen, Betty?"  
She was in the tub, with the robe Daniel had brought her on, but it was soaking wet, with the water still in the tub, and Betty's big toe was firmly wedged in the faucet.  
"You…might want to drain the water, Betty."  
"Duh! Do you think I didn't try, Daniel? The stupid thing only drains half the time! But…it won't work. The water isn't the most pressing problem, though, obviously!"  
"Okay, okay…Let me try." He took off his coat and hung it up on the door, then rolled up his sleeves. He looked at her legs and looked up at her, "Um…excuse me. I'm just going to reach…uh…between your legs now. Wow…that sounded bad, didn't it?" He looked up at Betty and smiled.  
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing a little, too. "How long have you been waiting to use THAT line, Daniel?"  
They both laughed, as he fished around the bottom of the tub and clicked the old metal stopper up and down several times to no avail. "Yep. You're right. This thing officially sucks! Okay, I guess we're working around the water issue, then. I'll just see if I can pull it out…your toe, I mean." He started to take hold of her foot and tug and she immediately started giggling uncontrollably.  
"Betty, I know this is kind of funny, but can you hold still? I need to get a better grip of your foot to maybe…turn your toe or something. It's really wedged in there pretty tight. How the heck did you manage this, anyway?"  
She shrugged, and tried to control her laughing as he pulled her foot again. Every time he touched her foot, she was having an extremely hard time keeping from giggling. "Betty! Stop! You really need to hold still, okay?"  
"I…can't! I'm really super….uh…my feet are really ticklish… oh…God! Stop! It's uh…I can't stand it….Daniel…please stop!" She was breathless, from laughing.  
He grinned, releasing her foot. "Seriously…that sounded kinda hot, Betty! Well…except for the stopping part. You're going to get me all excited here if you don't stop making all those sexy noises…." He looked at her. She was turning bright red.  
He tried not to notice her white robe, that was now completely soaking wet and very see through. He cleared his throat and looked away. He got a washcloth and a towel to fold up and kneel down next down to the tub and took a breath. He handed her the washcloth, "Okay, here, bite on this or something, cause I'm getting you out of this now alright?" She nodded, tears from laughing so hard streaming down her face.  
He firmly gripped her foot and pulled very hard, but also reached into the faucet to slightly turn her toe, after he had turned on the water.  
"Ahhh!" Betty squealed as her toe finally came loose and water came tumbling out. Daniel turned off the water quickly, then looked around to hand Betty a dry towel. He again tried to avert his eyes to her robe and got up from his knees.  
"How's your toe? Can you get up okay? Do you need help getting out?"  
"No. I think I'm okay now. Thanks! God, I thought I was never getting out of that! Thank you, Daniel!"  
"So…are you still up for our date? Or was this all just an elaborate way to try to get out of going out with me? I mean, you could have just said you had to wash your hair or something."  
She drew a breath, holding the towel in front of her. "No! I'm sorry; I just need about twenty minutes. But…can you please hand me my glasses? I can't really see very well. They're right there on the shelf."  
He started to hand them to her and saw that they, along with a bottle of moisturizer were evidently the noise he had heard, "I think they broke, Betty. There's some broken glass here, too. Just be careful getting out. It seems to be all behind the shelf, so you shouldn't step on any. Do you have another pair of glasses in the bedroom or something?"  
"That's okay. I can see well enough for now. Don't worry."  
"If you aren't in need of my services any longer then, I'll be out in the living room. Let me know if you need help…getting dressed or anything!" he smiled and winked.  
"Sure. Sorry to be such a pain! I'm still getting used to the new environment, I guess. I just was…curious and stuck my toe in and…well, it just got wedged somehow. Then I panicked and it just got more and more stuck. Thanks again! I don't know what I would have done without your help. I'm…really glad you're here, Daniel!" she put her hand on his arm.  
He gave her his biggest smile, "No problem, Betty. Glad I could be of service. I'll just go push back our reservation a bit, okay? See you in half an hour or so. Take your time. I'm really glad you're okay. I was worried at first."  
"No. Just me…being my usual klutzy self."  
"Well…I was starting to worry that you had changed too much. But…I'm really glad to see you're still the same Betty I've grown to know and love." He smiled and closed the door, then stuck his head back in, grinning, "Like I said, let me know, if you need help getting dressed or anything, there…my…uh… little mermaid!"  
She threw the washcloth at him, hitting the door hard just as he ducked and closed it.  
Daniel sat on the sofa, channel surfing to see if he could find anything interesting on the 'tellie' as he waited for Betty to get ready.  
In less than twenty minutes, she came out, her hair was still damp, though. She held up her finger, "I'm almost ready. I just need to dry my hair, okay? If you want something to drink, just help yourself."  
He nodded, thinking how cute she looked. She seemed different somehow. He had definitely been aware of how great she looked ever since she got her braces removed. Not that he didn't actually like how she looked even with them. It's just that he loved her smile…and her lips had always been very sexy.  
She had the most adorable way of holding her mouth that…Stop it! He kept telling himself he had to stop remembering how she looked in the tub with that robe all wet and see through, and when he had peeked just before she put on the robe….Yeah, he knew he was a pervert sometimes.  
He just didn't get why a girl with her great body had always insisted on wearing clothes two sizes too big for her…and of very questionable taste. Although he had actually learned to love her cute little ensembles. He had even bookmarked Marc's stupid website of her daily disasters. It had been one of his favorite things to look at after she left New York.  
He looked around at Betty's flat and realized something he should have figured out a long time ago. She couldn't afford to have clothing specially made to fit her uh…rather voluptuous assets back in New York, and that likely explained her wearing loose fitting clothing up until she became an editor and could afford things to be altered. Although, he still wondered why she didn't just ask Christina to help her alter more normal clothes.  
He had been thinking about her body a bit too much for his poor sex-deprived body to deal with, he realized suddenly and just as he was trying to make himself think of anything other than Betty's lovely lips or other lovely parts of her she came back in, smiling, "Thanks for the…uh marine rescue, Daniel! Finally ready!"  
He blinked. "Wow! Betty…you look gorgeous!" She blushed and looked down. "Oh…thanks! You, too!"  
He grinned at her, "I pushed our reservation back til 8:30, so…we can just sit and talk for a bit first." He patted the cushion next to him on the sofa.  
She looked down shyly and walked over to him. She glanced over at the TV as she sat down carefully. "Anything good on?"  
"Not really. A few American shows, some strange game shows and soccer games, and darts! People actually watch guys playing darts on TV here? Bo-ring!"  
She giggled and shrugged, "Well, you know….different strokes, I guess."  
"Yeah!" He took her hand in his, "Are you really okay? You looked kind of freaked out earlier. You sure you don't need to go to the doctor and get checked out or something, Betty? Don't just put on a brave face for me."  
She gave him the look he knew meant she thought he was acting overprotective, "Daniel. I can walk. It was just my toe that got stuck. I didn't break anything. It was just… kind of embarrassing, that's all."  
He grinned, "Yeah, well, if you wanted me to see you naked, you could have just greeted me at the door that way, Betty. I wouldn't have minded."  
She hit him on the arm playfully, "Daniel! I knew you peeked!"  
He shook his head, "No, I didn't!" he squirmed. He knew she could tell when he was lying.  
She narrowed her eyes, "Right!"  
He tried to deflect her gaze, and distract her from 'reading' him, "That's not what I meant. I just…well, that robe was kind of white…and wet."  
She just made a face, as if she was considering the validity of his observation and hadn't realized it, "Oh!" She blushed again.  
She got up to get a drink. "You want something to drink? I've got a bottle of wine Mr. Dunne gave me to welcome me and I haven't really had a chance to open it. I think it's pretty good." He got up to help her open it.  
"You want some help with that?"  
"Sure. You seem to be very helpful tonight." She teased.  
"I aim to please."  
She handed him the bottle and an opener. He opened the wine and smiled. They started talking at the same time and laughed.  
"Go ahead, Betty. I was just going to ask how things were going, that's all."  
"Good! Great! I love the job. It's really exhausting, but I honestly feel like I am doing something important, you know?"  
"That's fantastic! I…am…" he stopped and put his hand on hers, "Betty, you have no idea how sorry I am…about being such a big jerk when you left. I should have just supported you.  
You deserve this. You deserve to have your dream job here…to be doing what you love. You've worked so hard!  
I was really being a big baby because…well…like I said, I can't live without you. I've really missed you, Betty."  
He put his hand on top of hers. She didn't know why she was having such a hard time breathing. It was just really warm all of a sudden, she thought to herself as she smiled at him, and tried to hide the fact that her face felt like it was on fire right now, just from his hand on hers.  
He kept staring at her face and all of a sudden he cocked his head to the side, "You're not wearing your glasses! Can you see? Oh, did you not find your spare pair?"  
"I got contacts! I just have been afraid to wear them that much. But, I don't really have my other pair right now. Hilda and Just confiscated them when they gave me the new ones. I'll call and have them send them over to me tomorrow."  
"You have really pretty eyes."  
"Thanks. So do you." She blushed as he smiled.  
Part of him wanted to just come out with it and let the chips fall where they may. It wasn't like he didn't know how to romance a woman. He admittedly didn't usually have to do the wining and dining too much. A benefit to being wealthy and having firmly established his reputation as a ladies man was that women usually made things very easy for him.  
But, there had been the occasional hold out, like Sofia and even Molly. He knew how to play the game and the right things to say, especially what do once the clothes came off and the door was closed. However, this part-actually dating someone, convincing them you weren't…well out to just get them into bed was more of a mystery to him.  
Betty for her part was wondering what Daniel must be thinking of her right now. She had managed to do something typically Betty-ish and become a victim of her own unfamiliar plumbing, needing him to rescue her. That was not the first impression she wanted to make in her new environment. She wanted Daniel to look at her as the new, confident, successful…geez, was she really quoting Sofia Reyes now, seriously?  
Anyway, she didn't really want Daniel to see her as the 'same old Betty'. She was feeling so much more confident and like people here looked at her so differently here than at Mode. There she had been "the before". Even after she started dressing better and styling her hair and makeup better at Mode, it seemed like no one really noticed her. They still just saw her as the fat, ugly Mexican girl who wore the poncho on her first day and was a big geek who used to wear braces.  
Here, they looked at her as the smart, somewhat stylish, pretty American fashion editor. She reveled in the respect she received and the way people actually looked up to her, admired her work and listened to her opinion. Yes, she was an outsider, but one whose ideas they appreciated and she loved that they were willing to have her come and share her expertise with them.  
She knew that Daniel was one of the few exceptions at Mode who at least respected her ideas and work. But looks-wise, she could tell he still looked at her normally like he obviously had described her in the interview for her Bloby award.  
Although….she had to admit, since he had arrived here, in London, it was if he saw her through different eyes. It was almost as if he was seeing her like the people here at her new work saw her. Until she pulled this stunt, she thought! Oh, well, she sighed, she was who she was.  
After a few glasses of wine, Daniel glanced at his watch, "We'd better go. Ready, there, Miss Suarez?" he offered his arm, grinning widely.  
"Definitely, Mr. Meade! Where are we going?"  
"Still like Thai food, or has that changed about you, too?"  
"Always love it. That will never change." Damn! She thought…why did he have to say that and go and remind me of Henry. But…she only thought how he wasn't right for her anymore. As Daniel had so thoughtfully pointed out to her when they had their big fight before Hilda's wedding.  
She couldn't really stop herself. They knew each other too well. As they scooted into the waiting limo to head to the Blue Elephant, she asked the question that she had felt was the big elephant in the room since she had bumped into him earlier, "Daniel…why are you here? I mean, you could have started over in New York…or Los Angeles, or Paris, or Rome."  
"I don't speak Italian…other than a few lame pick-up lines and ordering food. You know my French sucks! DJ has given up on trying to teach me. He says I have no ear for languages."  
"Daniel, answer me, please. Why did you come to London?"  
He looked out the window, admiring the sights. He pretended not to have heard her and just as she started to repeat her question he started, "I…heard you, Betty. Did you…happen to read the 100th Anniversary Mode yet?"  
"No! I wanted to, but I've just been so busy at work and moving in. I forgot to even pick up an issue. Why? How did it come out? That's not why you really quite Mode, is it? Did Wilhelmina try to pull something on the issue?"  
"No. She was fine with it. It looks really great, I think. Other than her name alone on the masthead!" he chuckled, "No, I'm just kidding. She's earned it. She works really hard. She earned it way more than I ever did. She didn't just get her position handed to her like me."  
"Daniel, you could seriously charm a snake from striking sometimes, but why can't you answer a direct question?"  
He looked down at his hands, fidgeting in his lap. He called the driver and asked him to make a quick stop at the next news stand. He jumped out of the car quickly, and returned in a few minutes holding the 100th Anniversary Issue in his hands. He handed it to her, and whispered, "Just read my letter, okay? You can…edit it for me. You know I can't write…without your help. You can tell me if it's crap."  
She started reading, and looked up at him, smiling at first. Then she became more engrossed, particularly as she got to the part that spoke of Love never going out of fashion. Her eyes got big and watery. She seemed to be re-reading it to make sure she fully understood.  
She looked up, still somewhat teary, "You…really feel that way? About me?"  
"I do."  
"Wow! It's really…good. You are a great writer, Daniel. It's definitely not crap." She kept looking down at the letter, obviously afraid to look at him.  
He grabbed her by her shoulders, "Thanks, Betty, but I wasn't really serious about the editing stuff, okay? Just tell me what you think about us, please? What about what I said? How do you feel…about me? Do you think you could ever feel the same?"  
She still kept looking down, so he rolled his eyes, and lifted her chin, "Betty? I've kind of come along way here. I first of all, had to apologize for acting like such a douche, and second I wanted to let you know that….I…I'm in love with you, Betty. I probably have been for a long time…but…"  
She was wiping tears from her cheek, "Is it…because I look different?"  
"No, Betty. I can understand how you might think that, but honestly, I am still kind of trying to get used to you without the braces. I sort of miss them. The glasses thing is just really freaking me out. It's like you, but not you. Honestly, right now I'm just having a hard time not picturing you naked, though, I must admit." He grinned wickedly. "Especially since I …I did actually peek a little bit."  
She hit him with the magazine as he held up his hand to protect himself. "Daniel! That was very…"  
He had grabbed the magazine out of her hands now, and throwing it on the floor of the car, he suddenly leaned forward, putting his right hand and sliding it behind her hair, and pulling her face forward to his. He leaned closer and closer until he stopped and held his head against hers.  
She thought he was going to kiss her and she had been anticipating just how it might feel his lips on hers. She had closed her eyes and slightly puckered her lips. He smiled, thinking how cute she looked.  
He couldn't resist teasing her now. So he pulled away slightly, and lightly kissed her cheek, her forehead, her nose, and her temple. Then he began nibbling behind her ear, running his fingers softly down her arms as he continued nuzzling her neck and shoulder. She tried to just stay still, and not react to all this. But she felt more aroused than she was willing to let on. Seriously, he was driving her totally crazy with all this!  
The man definitely knew how to tease. She managed not to show how much he was getting to her until he grinned and began attacking her neck, then up to her ear again. He was tempted to see just how far she might be willing to let him go, looking longingly at her cleavage, but he didn't want to get slapped, so instead he began using his talented tongue to tease her neck and his breath was hitting her ear, then he nibbled her earlobe ever so gently and she couldn't keep herself from making soft little moans.  
God…he was so freakin good at this, she was ready to rip his clothes off and show him what she really wanted right now. She finally opened her eyes and looked at him, "Daniel…please stop teasing me and kiss me already, will you? Before I explode?"  
He smiled like a Cheshire Cat and repeated his earlier declaration, "I aim to please!"

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 A Splash of Thai

Chapter 3: A Splash of Thai  
Just D & B, still. Don't worry; there will be plenty of other characters soon. Their date will wrap up on Ch 4, then everyone will be weighing in with their own 'two cents' worth for our fearless couple!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
Daniel leaned in and kissed her, very slowly, pulling her close to him by her waist. She could feel his tongue seeking entry and exploring her mouth. Her cheeks started getting warm, as he deepened the kiss. Then, as she pulled away gently, mainly so she could take a breath, he grinned like a little kid.  
Betty looked up at him, "Wow! That was…different." She was still somewhat in shock at the fact that he was kissing her, that he had written that love letter to her for the whole world to see, and most of all that he had come all this way for her.  
"Different…good?" he asked, looking almost afraid to hear her answer.  
She blushed. "Definitely good, but…"  
He leaned back in the seat, looking like he was afraid of what she was going to say next.  
"I hate to hear but, it almost always means something negative is coming."  
She put her hand on his arm. Funny, she never remembered noticing his biceps before, Betty thought. In fact, she had never noticed just how great his cologne smelled or how completely blue those eyes were…well, maybe she had, but she had always tried to either ignore or distract herself from such things about her extremely sexy ex-boss.  
Now she felt like she'd had way more wine than she actually had, sitting with his arms wrapped around her like this. She was overcome suddenly with what an incredibly handsome guy Daniel was.  
She was trying to force herself to focus on what she was trying to say, rather than how good he looked or how she wanted nothing more than to kiss him again…and again…and again.  
"No…nothing, uh…negative. I just am having a hard time wrapping my head around all this. You've got to admit; it seems sort of out of the blue. I mean, it's me; Betty. You love me? Me? Are you…sure?"  
He laughed softly, and looked into her eyes. She looked really pretty with her glasses. But now, without them, he felt like he could somehow see even more fully into her thoughts…  
She was his best friend in the world, but suddenly that wasn't enough. He felt like his heart was to going to beat out of his chest. He wanted to say just the right thing, so she would understand what had happened to him, why she was so important to him.  
"Betty, I know it's you. And, yes, I realize it might seem like this is coming out of nowhere for you, but for me… I've been feeling like this for a while now, I think.  
"Did you tell your mom?"  
"When? I mean, she knows I'm here now, of course, with you."  
"No…I mean before you decided to leave Mode and come here? The reason I ask…she kind of said something to me at my going away party."  
"About me? Or us, I mean?" he looked surprised.  
"Well, yeah. She said that losing me was hard for you. When you avoided me, I told her I thought you hated me, but she said…"  
He put his hand on her arm, "Wait…Betty. You thought I hated you?"  
She nodded, with somewhat bleary eyes. "Well, you avoided me, and then you didn't come to my party."  
"I did. I mean, I was there. I saw you dancing with Marc and Amanda. You seemed so happy; I couldn't bring you down with my own selfish crap. I wanted you to feel like you could move on. I know I was holding you back, Betty."  
She sighed, "Daniel; no you weren't. I hated leaving…you. I just needed to work somewhere besides Mode, that's all, and I needed a big change, a real challenge. I felt like everyone sort of looked at me in a certain way there and I couldn't break away from that idea they had of me. Plus, you know I'm not really a fashion person, obviously. I want to write about so much more. Not that there's anything wrong with fashion. It's just not me."  
He smiled, "You don't need to worry about hurting my feelings, Betty. I'm not in fashion, anymore, either. Remember, I quit working at Mode?"  
"Oh, that's right. That's so weird. Now you're just…Daniel, huh?"  
He nodded, "You know Betty. It occurs to me now; we're just us; Daniel and Betty. We can sort of start fresh here with a clean slate, right? It might be kind of nice to get to know each other with all the boundaries gone."  
She looked at him like he had two heads, "Daniel. Since when have we had boundaries? I mean, come on; we have hung out so much, I don't really think of you as a regular boss. We're just..."  
"Yeah, I know Betty. We're friends. You know, I hate to say this, but you're starting to make me kind of hate that word. Don't get me wrong, I've always valued our friendship. I still do, in fact, but is that all we're ever going to be? Hell yes, there have been boundaries. Not just because I was your boss, but…because we were just friends, you know?  
Don't you think you'll ever want…I don't know, more?" He was looking at her so intently now; her heart started beating something like a thousand beats a minute. Crap, just when she was starting to feel normal around him again he had to go and get all romantic on her.  
"What did my mom say to you at the party, Betty? Just that losing you was hard for me, that's all?"  
"What? Oh, that. She said that you didn't know why yet and something about she had a theory about it."  
"A theory?"  
She nodded, afraid to look up into his eyes. She knew he could read her every bit as well as she could him.  
"Betty! What did you think she meant?  
"I don't know, Daniel. Do you?" she tried to lie.  
"Yeah. She said the same thing to me in my office. She told me that the reason I did all that crazy stuff when I found out you were leaving was because I had feelings for you.  
I hate to admit it, believe me, because I hate it when my mom's right about me almost as much as I hate it when you know me better than I know myself, Betty."  
She smiled and nodded, "I know. Me, too. I guess we're both kind of stubborn that way. I mean the whole Trista thing. I might have been a little jealous, come to think of it. She was really pretty and I just hated to see you start going back to 'old Daniel', you know?"  
"So, I'm not allowed to date pretty girls? Well, I guess that lets you out then, Betty. Do you really think you're not pretty? Why, just because you used to have braces or because you need glasses…or you did? None of that mattered; you were still very pretty. You do know that, don't you? I know I've tried to tell you how beautiful you are, even when I was your boss, as much as I could without being sued for sexual harassment. Just because you're not a stupid model…really, you've got to stop all this self-doubt; I've always thought you were beautiful…"  
She smiled her million-dollar smile and pulled him down to give him a very long, sweet kiss. She put her hands on his face and looked at him, "You're a very sweet man, Daniel. I really love y… that about you."  
He grinned like a kid again, "Thanks. I mean for both…the compliment and the kiss. It was nice. I…hate to stop, but I suppose we should go in and eat. But, listen, now that I'm just Daniel, do you think you'd want to date me?"  
"That's funny, I thought that's what we were doing right now, 'just Daniel'? Isn't that what we've been doing so far?  
I mean, you came to my flat to pick me up, and brought me flowers, just like a date. But of course, when you knocked on my door, there I was stuck in the tub with my toe in the faucet because I was busy daydreaming about tonight, so you had to come rescue me by pretending to put your hand over your eyes, but really peeking at me, and reaching between my legs and tickling me so much I sounded like I was having sex and then you handed me a letter you wrote for the whole word to see that tells me you love me now and THEN we kiss in the car…"  
He started laughing at her little rant about half way through and when she finally took a breath, he said, shrugging, "Well, yeah, sure. That sounds like a hell of a first date to me, so far at least! I can't wait to see how it ends. At least I know now I'm getting another kiss." He leaned forward and gave her a small peck.  
She tried not to laugh, but he was so goofy sometimes, it really charmed her. She knew she was in big trouble. How was she expected to resist him? He knew everything about her; all her likes and dislikes, what she found sexy in a guy, what drove her crazy. She knew him, too. They were best friends. They knew so much about one another, and yet this…dating guy was still her Daniel, only more intense, flirtier, and sexier.  
Daniel opened the door for her and led her into the restaurant.  
Inside there was a tropical theme with plants, fountains, flowers and fish ponds. It was amazing; Betty felt like she had been transported to Thailand as the maître d escorted them to their table and took their order.  
As they ate, Daniel fed her, like he usually did, only this time in a much sexier way, she thought. Betty kept telling herself to focus, to hear what he was saying to her, instead of getting lost in those baby blues.  
He was talking to her now, "Hmmm?" she asked, absently. She had to admit, she really wasn't listening.  
"I said, do you want some more of my shrimp?"  
"Oh, okay. I'll have one more bite. It's really good, thanks. I really loved the coconut on the chicken curry we had for starters, too. It was delicious! This place is amazing!"  
He put the shrimp on his chopstick and fed it to her, looking at her as she ate, watching her so intently, it made her very nervous.  
"You have a really sexy mouth, Betty." He said in his low, raspy voice that sent chills down her spine.  
She almost choked on the last bit of shrimp as she was swallowing, "I do?" her eyes got as big as saucers.  
He nodded and smiled, leaning over to kiss her quickly across the table, then he put his chin on his fist, "Yeah, definitely very sexy."  
She started to get up from the table to go splash some water on her face or something, since her cheeks were so flushed again. But she forgot to look before she got up and her timing was not good, because just as she stood to leave, the waiter was starting to pour water into her glass and she bumped the pitcher, spilling much of it on her dress. "Ah!" She blinked, and held her hands out in shock.  
The whole front of her beautiful silk blue dress was now soaked through, leaving very little to the imagination. The poor waiter tried to apologize and took the napkin to start to dry her dress with it, but she instinctively swatted him away, grabbing the napkin from him and trying her best to wipe it. She mumbled, "Excuse me, I'm going to the ladies room" and ran to the bathroom in utter humiliation.  
She just knew Daniel was never going to see her as anything but the 'colorful clown' that Suzuki had called her. God, why did she have to be such a clumsy idiot sometimes? Here she had the man of her dreams, kissing her and telling her he loved her and she was acting like some kind of nut on an I Love Lucy Show or something! She was so embarrassed; she didn't know how to dry her dress. It was completely see-through now. She wanted to just hide.  
She looked down as her phone went off with a text. She looked at it in surprise, seeing it was from Daniel, "Need n-y help? Want me 2 come blow on ur dress to dry it?"  
She laughed, and texted back, "No! Im sure uv nevr been in a ladies br b4, rite?"  
"Of course not! I alredy paid 4 dnr. Wana go home? I can meet u outsid br door. "  
"Ok. Sorry 2 b such a dufus"  
"Ur not. Ur cute."  
"Ur 2 nice."  
"My place r urs?"  
She started to call him, but opened the door to leave the ladies room, only to have him grab her hand and pull her out through the kitchen. He held up a doggie bag, "Boo! Listen, I got our dessert to go, so you could try their mousse. I got dark chocolate and white Belgian both. We can share. Is that okay?"  
She held her hand up to her dress, but he had her coat, which she gratefully put on to hide her see-through dress. He winked, "You know, I told you, Betty, you don't have to keep pouring water on yourself to show off your...um assets. I already think you have a great body."  
She blushed and looked down. "Believe me; I'm not trying to pour water on myself. I think you just make me nervous."  
"Oh, I see. Really? That's so cute, Betty. You do realize the first time I met you, you ran into a glass door? So, you're saying I made you nervous back then, too? I guess I should take that as a compliment. You know me now, though. Why do I still make you nervous?" he was standing right next to her, dangerously close.  
She took a deep breath, "Well, for one thing, you're kind of… trying to make me nervous right now, I think, aren't you? As far as the first day I met you, that was my first day at Mode, and my first day of work, ever, and everyone was staring at me."  
"Well, it was hard not to, babe. You were adorable."  
"Babe?" she looked surprised at his term of endearment.  
"Sorry….it slipped, babe." he teased.  
"Daniel!" she hit him on the arm but took the bag and peeked at the dessert. "Ooh, we should go eat these right away. They look delicious. That was very thoughtful, thanks."  
They stood just outside the car and he put his hand against the door, looking down at her, "So…you never answered my text, Betty. My place or yours?" he grinned slyly.  
"Daniel! Is this seriously how you…"she was getting bright red.  
He was amused, "How I what?"  
"You know…get into…well…girls' pants? My place or yours, calling me babe…sorry, but I expected a little better than lame pick-up lines from the great Daniel Meade, player extraordinaire!"  
He looked at her like he didn't know if he should be amused or insulted. "Okay, Betty, I'll bite. First of all, the babe thing was not a pick-up line I use with girls, I promise you. I actually seldom call girls babe. I was referring to our date, you know…the song we sang karaoke to, 'I Got You, Babe?'  
Second, I actually need to know if we are going to my place or yours to eat our desserts, so I know what to tell the driver, that's all. So, I'm sorry to sound 'lame', and I realize they might sound cliché or whatever, but they're completely legitimate questions. So, I ask again, quite innocently, whose place would you like to go to?"  
"Oh. I see. But, wait, why would we go to your place? Where are you even staying? A hotel? Doesn't that sound kind of 'pick-upy'?  
He shrugged, "I'm actually staying at a place that belonged to my dad. I guess it was one of his little love-nests with Fay or something when he traveled to London. But it was in with the assets I inherited when he died. I never used it before. I just wanted to show it to you, that's all. Nothing nefarious or 'pick-upy' implied, I promise. Scout's honor!" he held up his hand.  
"Scouts, huh? Since when were you a Boy Scout?" she gave him a look.  
"Well, you know, that Girl Scout troop made me an honorary member." He joked.  
"I'm sure they did!" She shook her head. "Not your finest hour, Daniel!"  
"Well, see? You know stuff like that about me and you didn't go running screaming, Betty. Just like I know that you're maybe a little bit clumsy sometimes, especially when you're nervous and you're like one of the singing chipmunks on red bull when you drink too much coffee without eating your bagel, and that you light up a room when you smile, and you are seriously the most optimistic, sweetest person I've ever met."  
She sighed, and touched his shoulder, "See; now that is a pick-upy line that is just…too sweet, Daniel. It kind of makes me see how you got to be mister player, I guess."  
He chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face, looking down into her eyes, "So…my place, then?" She hesitated, looking extremely nervous, "Betty, I swear, I'm not trying to 'get into your pants', okay?"  
"Really?"  
A slow smile spread across his face, "You sound disappointed, Betty. Do you want me to…try?"  
"Daniel!"  
"Betty! Do you? Because you sounded definitely disappointed to me."  
"Stop that!"  
"Stop what?" he teased.  
"That! I'm not disappointed, okay?"  
"Sure you're not, Betty. Anyway, I didn't say I wouldn't try…soon. I just won't tonight. Unless, you want me to. I wouldn't want to disappoint you." He was thoroughly enjoying how nervous he seemed to be making her.  
"Daniel!"  
"Yes, babe?" he teased.  
"You're ridiculous!"  
"Probably why you love me."  
"I never said…that."  
"Not yet. But you will. You always take longer. I know that about you. It's okay. I can wait. Besides, I've known longer. You'll get there." He leaned down and kissed her.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4 The Night BeforeMorning After

Chapter 4: The Night Before and the Morning After  
Disclaimer; I own nothing, I tell you; nothing!  
Daniel and Betty for one last chapter as they finish their 'first date'. It may not be wine and roses, but there is wine…  
When they got to his father's 'love-nest' as he had called it, Betty was overwhelmed with how palatial it seemed. She noticed that he had a view of Trafalgar Square from the living room. She also was somewhat uneasy to see there was only one bedroom.  
It wasn't a small flat; in fact by modern standards, it was huge. She assumed Bradford had purchased it twenty years ago or more, so he likely had gotten it long before London prices had skyrocketed. It was a great investment property for Daniel. She thought it seemed a little bland, but didn't say anything as he showed her around.  
"You want some wine to go with dessert? Sorry, I don't have any coffee yet. I guess that would be one advantage to a hotel, room service. But, maybe I'll go grocery shopping tomorrow and get some food in here."  
"You're going grocery shopping?" she couldn't help herself from laughing.  
"What? You think I've never gone grocery shopping before?" he pretended to be hurt.  
"Have you?"  
"Sure. Lots of times. I go to smaller shops, mostly, but…"  
She suddenly smiled, "Of course you do, Daniel. I'll bet you go to hardware stores, too sometimes. When there are no models in town, maybe?" she teased.  
He rolled his eyes at her as he got glasses, plates, and silverware for their dessert and wine. "I get it. You're saying you think I just go to those places to pick up women?"  
She shrugged, "Yeah." She took a bite of the dessert, and licked her lips.  
He didn't answer at first. He was busy watching her tongue glide across those lips he had been spending way too much time dreaming about, especially lately. She stood next to him in the kitchen and helped put the mousse onto plates, as he poured the wine for them.  
"Hmmm…no comment, Mr. Meade? Suzuki would say that meant I was right, huh?" she looked at him with a satisfied grin.  
He shrugged, "Maybe a few times. I didn't go there to 'pick anyone up', but I did notice there are a lot of nice ladies at the grocery store. To be honest, they usually picked ME up!"  
She shook her head and smiled, "Yeah, well, girls get horny, too, Daniel, and you're hot, so…" she realized too late what she had said. Whoa! She had to slow down on the wine, she thought.  
He almost spit out his wine. "What?" He laughed. "Okay, um…I see. Does grocery shopping make you horny, baby?" he did his best Austin Powers' accent.  
"No! I wasn't talking about me. I just meant girls in general, that's all."  
"I see. So, I'm hot, huh?" he grinned at her.  
She blushed slightly, but smiled and fed him a piece of mousse, "Like that's news!"  
She was sitting at the bar stool in the kitchen. He was leaning forward on the other side. Now, he picked up a forkful of the mousse he was eating, "Did you try the dark chocolate?" he fed it to her slowly and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying watching her eat it.  
"Do you have to watch me eat?" she said as soon as she finished swallowing.  
He nodded, "Yeah. I love the way you make yummy noises and lick your lips. You forget, Betty. I've mostly dated women who never ate on dates. I happen to like watching you eat. I always have. It's very…sensual."  
She blushed even more, "So, because I'm the only girl you've ever been around that actually eats, you think that makes me sexier than a size 0 model…who doesn't eat?" She looked skeptical.  
He nodded, "Yeah! There are some very sexy women who are not a size zero, yourself included. I mean, I'm mostly around models, but I like…curves, too, Betty. Come on, you know this about me."  
Of course she did. She knew how much curvaceous women like Sofia Reyes had turned him on. Something she always found strange, considering he mostly 'dated' models.  
"Remember the wedding we crashed? You were the one telling me to go for the bridesmaid with the... big boobs?"  
She laughed, "I see you're more comfortable saying that around me now, huh?"  
"I always was. I just was embarrassed that you were telling me to go after some girl with big boobs, that's all. Not to mention, I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable about your…body."  
He tried to feed her another bite, but she backed away. "I'm full. This is so rich. It tastes great, but it's really filling. So, did you want to do something?"  
He almost choked on his food, "What did you have in mind, Betty?"  
She seemed unaffected by his panic. "I don't know. Watch a movie or something, I guess. I don't suppose you have any games here? Cards or anything. I mean, we could go dancing, but my dress is still kind of wet…what's that face?" she was still unaware of his original thought after her question.  
He shook his head, "Nothing. I just…nothing. Yeah, I think I have cable or satellite here. We could see if there's anything on. You want me to bring the wine?"  
She nodded. He grabbed his glass and the bottle. They sat down and picked a movie, just like they had literally dozens of times in the past in New York. But Daniel knew things were definitely not going to stay like they had always been. He was glad, but also a little curious as to how things were going to change.  
Betty sat down on the couch. She had noticed her dress was starting to dry and finally becoming a little less clingy. She sat somewhat stiffly, feeling like a teenager on her first date. Daniel sat next to her, but not too close, looking uncomfortable, too.  
He put down the bottle onto the table and started the movie, a horror film. Initially, they were sitting fairly far apart. Of course, after the first scary part, Betty inched closer, and after she had moved towards him three times, he asked, "Scared?"  
She nodded. "A little."  
He smiled and put his arm around her, knowing that she didn't just mean the movie.  
She looked at him, "Excuse me…what do you think you're…"  
He leaned down and kissed her before she had a chance to object.  
She pushed him away, "Daniel! Stop! Are you…I mean, I thought you said you weren't going to try to…you know?"  
He looked puzzled, "Betty, I was only kissing you, or trying to, that's all."  
"I know. But…I'm just afraid that…that we…"  
He looked at her, trying to put her fears to rest. "Betty, I swear. I'm not going to try anything, okay? You can trust me. I just… really need…"he was leaning closer to her, "to kiss you, that's all."  
He started to tease her again, like he had before, but before he could even think, Betty pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss. This time, Daniel was the one who broke away, when they both found breathing impossible.  
He smiled, "Wow! Tell me you didn't learn that from…Henry the dork!" he teased.  
She blushed. "I think maybe we should have a don't ask, don't tell policy when it comes to past experience, don't you? For your sake, it might be easier. I highly doubt you would even remember sheer volume, let alone names and skills learned from each of your former 'girlfriends', Daniel."  
He smirked, "Okay. Whatever you say, Betty." He started to move, but found it…difficult. He leaned back and grabbed a pillow. He hoped Betty was too busy watching the movie to notice his…difficulty. He tried to think of anything except that very sexy kiss she had just given him.  
But the more he tried to think of unsexy things, the more he couldn't stop thinking about her and that kiss. It didn't help that she kept grabbing his waist and buried her head in his chest during the scary parts. Plus, the more wine she drank, the more she seemed comfortable with acting flirty with him, touching him and eventually, she passed out…on his lap. For his part, Daniel was wide awake and very uncomfortable.  
He tried to scoot away, but Betty moaned in her sleep, which made him even more reluctant to try and move. She shifted, and suddenly seemed to wake, her face in his lap, and immediately her head shot up, almost bumping his chin, "Oh!" she said, suddenly sitting up straight on the couch, with her eyes wide open.  
"Are you awake? You kind of nodded off there."  
"Too much wine, I guess." She tried to sound as normal as possible. "It's late. I should really go. Can you call me a cab?"  
"At this hour? I don't think you should go out now, Betty. It might not be safe. Why don't you just take the bed? I'll sleep out here. You can wear one of my shirts or something. There's an extra toothbrush in the bathroom."  
She seemed reluctant. Then, he leaned over and whispered, "I'll be good, Betty. You can lock the door, if you're worried."  
She was extremely glad it was fairly dark in the living room now that the television was off and he had switched off the lamps, so he couldn't see how flushed she was at his comment.  
She was disoriented. She had clearly drunk way too much wine, too fast. It felt weird to be here, late like this with Daniel in his new place…in a foreign country. Of course they had slept over many times in New York. But that was just as friends. That was different.  
It was like he had said earlier. They were just Daniel and Betty now. There was no Mode rumor mill, Amanda and Marc weren't here to gossip about them. Hilda and Justin, or her papi weren't here to be nosey about her love life. They could start fresh.  
She knew it was the wine, but she couldn't help it. She was more than a little curious. "Do you really want to stay out here? All by yourself?" She found herself whispering.  
"Betty." She heard the warning in his tone. "You're…drunk, honey." He turned towards her, but didn't move otherwise.  
She could definitely tell what he had been thinking while she was on his lap, though, even in the dark and it made her blush, but also made her reckless. She had to know…just what was going on with him.  
"Daniel, do you mean, you don't want to?" Did she actually just say that to him? How much had she drunk, anyway? She giggled to herself, thinking…not enough that she would forget anything.  
He turned slightly towards her, but still didn't reach out to her. "I really don't think that would be such a good idea right now."  
"Sure, Daniel. I see." She sounded hurt and started to get up.  
He put his hand out to stop her. "Betty, it's not that I don't want to; believe me. I just think you've had a little too much to drink tonight. I think we should…wait."  
"Of course. I understand. Because you're such a 'waiting' kind of guy!" She couldn't keep the sound out of her voice. The sound that told him she thought he didn't really want her.  
He grabbed her hand as she stood over him and pulled her down on his lap, then gave her a kiss that let her know that was not the case. When they finally parted, she smiled and hugged him tightly around his neck. They stayed like that for several minutes. When he could, Daniel asked softly, "Betty? Are you okay?" She had passed out again, this time against his shoulder.  
He whispered as he inhaled her hair, "Great player, my ass. All I do is put you to sleep!"  
He wasn't taking any more chances. He wasn't going to tempt himself anymore and end up scaring her away. He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on his bed. He dug through his drawers, and finding an old sweatshirt, he put it on her, his hands a little shaky as he slid off her dress and pulled the shirt over her head and through her arms.  
Then he tucked her in, and grabbed a pillow and spare blanket from the closet, closing the door, and walking back out to the living room. Well, this was going to be a long night, he thought. Maybe he should have a scotch or two or three, just as a nightcap. It might help him sleep. He was right. It helped him pass out. Good thing, because the couch was not that comfortable.  
Early the next morning, he swore he saw Betty, wearing his shirt, and sneaking into the kitchen to get a glass of water. But he was far too groggy to focus, so he closed his eyes again. Moments later, he was startled to see her indeed sitting in the chair next to him, drinking said glass of water and holding her head. He sleepily opened his eyes and rubbed his temple, "Hey!"  
She stretched, and he noticed how nice her legs looked under his shirt. He also noticed how nice the rest of her looked in it. Just like he had a hard time thinking about anything else all night, when he had been trying to get to sleep, his justification for getting drunk.  
Betty groaned, "Do you…have any aspirin? I usually carry some in my purse, but I think I forgot to put some in my new one last night."  
He nodded, "In the bathroom. I still haven't finished unpacking. There should be some in my little toiletry bag in there somewhere. Uh…Betty. Bring me some, too?"  
She nodded. He closed his eyes until she came back in, holding the aspirin like they were the cure for the plague. She handed him two. "Is that enough?"  
"We'll see. Thanks! Can I have a sip of that when you're done?"  
She nodded. After she swallowed her three aspirin, she handed him the water.  
"What was in that wine? It was really strong!"  
He shrugged, "Well, you drank…most of it. You normally don't drink that much."  
"I guess. Why do you have a hangover then?"  
"I uh…I had some Scotch after you fell asleep."  
"Why?"  
"Why? I don't know, Betty. What is this; the Spanish Inquisition?" He didn't mean to be short with her, but what could he say, 'because you made me want to jump you and I needed to knock myself out so I wouldn't be tempted to take advantage of you while you were drunk and coming on to me?' Yeah, maybe not.  
She suddenly looked down at the shirt she was wearing, "You…put this on me?" He couldn't look away from her gaze.  
"Yeah. I didn't…"  
"I know, Daniel. You didn't look. Just like you didn't look last night in the tub, right? Well, I hope you got an eyeful. Because that's not happening again soon." She seemed as grouchy as he felt.  
He could never stand for Betty to be mad at him, though, so he tried to placate her, "Do you want to take a shower and we can go get some breakfast together? Are you busy?  
I need to get some housekeeping stuff, as well as food. You know, bowls, extra sheets, things like that. Maybe a painting or something for the walls that doesn't look like it was done during the Cold War." He glanced around at the woefully outdated décor.  
She brightened slightly, putting her legs up close to her body and hugging them. She shrugged, "I guess I could come with you for a few hours. After all, we should spend as much time together as we can until you have to leave."  
"I'm leaving?"  
"Well, I mean, whenever you do. You never said how long you were able to stay."  
"I'm staying here, Betty. I'm not leaving. Weren't you listening just now? I was talking about getting stuff for this place."  
She looked puzzled. She took another sip and rubbed the side of her head as if she was trying to come to from a crazy dream. "Okay, wait. You mean to say you're moving here, permanently? Like for good? You're not going back to New York in a few weeks or a month or something?"  
He shrugged, "Well, I'm going to Paris next week to visit DJ and Alexis. But, no, Betty. I told you, I'm done with Mode. I'm here to start over completely on my own."  
"With…me?" she seemed incredulous.  
"Well…yeah, I mean, eventually, I guess. That's sort of up to you, though."  
She blinked, as if he had just hit her over the head, "Daniel…this is just too much for me to quite comprehend, here. Okay, you said you started having…feelings for me, right? Or did I dream that when you got me drunk? By the way…nothing happened, right?"  
"NO! Of course not! You slept in the bedroom, and I was out here. Come on, Betty. I would never do that!" he was mad and hurt, now.  
She back-peddled a little, "I'm sorry, Daniel. I know that. I just don't like waking up in men's beds wearing their clothes and not remembering how I got there, but being pretty sure I didn't put them on, or take my own clothes off!"  
He sighed, "You passed out in here and I carried you into the bedroom and yes, I took off your dress and put my shirt on you. I didn't feel you up or anything. I didn't even enjoy it. I just was trying to do you a favor. Then, I came back in here, with my sad little pillow and blankie and drank Scotch till I passed out, thinking about how hot you looked in there, okay?  
I certainly didn't touch you and I didn't get you drunk, or slip you anything. You got yourself drunk. It's good wine and like I said, you drank most of the bottle. By the way, you did come onto me while you were drunk and I firmly but politely turned you down out of…chivalry, or whatever. Anything else you need to know about last night?" he glared at her.  
She smiled shyly, "I came onto you? I'm sorry, Daniel. Thank you for not taking advantage of me. That was…chivalrous of you. So was putting me to bed and sleeping out here. I do appreciate it."  
"It's…fine. I'm sorry I was grumpy or whatever, I just didn't get much sleep."  
"And you're always extra grumpy when you're…frustrated." She teased, knowingly.  
"What?" His voice was far higher than he realized. He lowered it an octave, "I am not. How would you know THAT?"  
"Are you kidding me? Please! Daniel, believe me; after four years, I always knew the few times you actually struck out. Though, granted, there weren't that many. You could almost always find some bimbo willing to sleep with you, just because of who you are. But those rare times when you didn't…look out! You were like a big old bear…just like now!"  
"Well, I guess you're just going to have to put up with me being grumpy; unless you feel like doing something to help my…grumpiness."  
"Not at the moment, no!" she got up and said, "I'm going to go take a shower, if the offer still stands."  
He nodded and while she was in the shower, he dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt.  
As soon as she came back out, she saw him and couldn't help but look at him. She'd never seen him looking so casual. He looked great, but very different. She tried not to stare. Finally, he said, "What's wrong, Betty? Don't like the unemployed look?"  
"That's not funny, Daniel. A lot of people are really struggling to find work right now."  
"I know that! Believe me. I want to do something that helps people, I think."  
"Please don't tell me you're running off to Africa to save the world, too? I'm glad to be an inspiration, but I can't keep losing boyfriends to humanitarian causes!" she groaned.  
He laughed, "Not likely. I've been to Egypt and I hated it! It was really hot and…dusty. No, I'm not exactly sure yet. I want to just take some time and decide what I want to do next. I thought it might be nice to spend a little time getting my bearings in London and spending time with you, if that's not too much of an inconvenience, Betty." She could tell he was still hurt.  
"Okay, now I've obviously hurt your little male ego and I'm sorry, I swear, I didn't mean to. Listen, Daniel, I'm really thrilled that you did all this…for me. It's enough to sweep a girl off her feet, believe me. I'm just having a hard time getting used to it, that's all. Can I at least have like twenty-four hours to…absorb it all, please?  
I'm not telling you I don't care about you or don't want to…see what happens with us. I'm just saying, when you make these big, romantic gestures, it can be a little overwhelming to us mere mortals, you know?"  
"Okay, Betty, I know I'm 'grumpy' or frustrated or whatever and hung over, so I'm sorry if I sound pissed off here, but just what the hell is THAT supposed to mean, anyway? Mere mortals? Are you saying I think I'm better than you or something, because I'm rich so being without a job isn't my first priority?  
I'm terribly sorry if I thought about you first, before jumping into just any job because I could afford to wait to decide what it is I really want to do, and the fact that my feelings for you have me all messed up and kind of unsure of myself.  
I know you think I'm some kind of man-child that you have to take care of, but…I'll figure things out. I'm just not used to being in love, so I'm sorry if I'm not handling it perfectly." He sounded like a boy who had been scolded.  
Betty smiled at him, "Well, now that was just ridiculously cute, Daniel." She walked over to the sofa and kissed him on the cheek.  
He flashed his own grin, "Maybe we should both eat something, huh? So we don't bite each other's heads off?"  
She nodded, "Probably!"  
He suddenly seemed like he remembered something that made him very happy.  
She raised her eyebrows, "What are you so…smiley about all of a sudden, Daniel? You're headache better already?"  
He shrugged, putting his arm around her, "Oh, nothing. I just remembered something you said earlier that I didn't catch at first."  
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"  
"When you were talking about not wanting me to go to Africa…like what's his name?"  
She rolled her eyes at his jibe at Matt Hartley. Like he wouldn't remember his name! He had punched the guy for saying she and Daniel had slept together, after all.  
"What did I say?"  
He grinned, and leaned down to whisper, "You…called me your boyfriend, Betty."

Chapter 5: Chapter 5 A Walk in the Park

Chapter 5: A Walk in the Park  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
Betty was pacing in her flat, trying to sort through everything going through her head right now. Usually what she did when she needed guidance was to talk to her friends and family. But unfortunately, her family was fast asleep in New York right now and wouldn't be up for several hours, long after Daniel had said he would come and pick her up to do some shopping with him then take a walk in Hyde Park, after lunch.  
Christina was in Scotland, staying with family, and Betty didn't want to bother her there. So, she called the one person who had become like a mother to her, and who also happened to be the best source of knowledge for all things about Daniel that she could think of-his mother. Plus, Daniel told her Claire was in Paris, visiting Alexis and DJ, so there wasn't that pesky time difference to worry about.  
"Betty! I'm so glad to hear from you, dear! How are things going in your new homeland?"  
"Great! I love it here! It's so beautiful, and everyone has been so nice! How are you doing? Are Alexis and DJ well? Oh, and how about Tyler?"  
"They're all fine, Betty. What I'd really like to hear is how things are going with you and my son."  
"Daniel?"  
"Well, yes, Betty. I know Tyler is in New York and since my only other son at least these days is Daniel, that's the one. Plus, I happen to know he's there for you, so…Did you have your first date? How did it go?"  
"Mrs. Meade!" Betty was not really surprised that Claire was privy to Daniel's love life. They had always been very close. Plus, she knew how nosey Claire was about Daniel's life. Claire was probably better than even she was at getting Daniel to talk when he didn't want to.  
"Betty, please. I've told you before, call me Claire. I'm your friend, too. So, how did it go?"  
"I…well; I assume you know about the…letter Daniel wrote?"  
"Yes, I was so proud to see him be so open about his feelings. Frankly, I was a little surprised. Then, when he told me what he was planning to do, leave Mode and follow you there to apologize and tell you how he felt, I was really amazed. I don't think I've ever seen Daniel be so…well, romantic before. He…really loves you, Betty. I'm sorry. I assume if you're asking about the letter, he did…tell you how he felt about you?"  
"Yes. Yes, he did. I was really…well, I was kind of shocked, I guess."  
"I did try to warn you at your party, Betty."  
"I remember-your 'theory'. You were right, that's for sure. I'm just…kind of having a hard time believing this is real. I mean, we worked together for four years. Why now? Are you sure this isn't just about my, well the things I changed about myself, my looks?"  
"No! I realize that Daniel waited to come after you until you had transformed yourself. But he's loved you for some time, now, Betty. No, I think if anything, it was more about the fact that he missed you so much. He was starting to have feelings for you a long time ago, but I think even he finally began to connect the dots at your sister's wedding. But, when you left, it gave him the wake-up call he needed to see how much he cared for you, Betty. You did go out with him, then?"  
"Yes. We went out last night. We went to The Blue Elephant. He knows I love Thai food. It was really a gorgeous place, and the food was great."  
"So, things went well?"  
"Yeah. I think so. But, I was kind of…stuck in the tub when he got here and he had to help me out."  
"Really? That sounds interesting. I'm surprised knowing my son he let you leave after that beginning. You were in the bathtub? How did you get stuck, might I ask?"  
"It was so stupid. You know me. I'm definitely not…um…graceful or coordinated. I got my toe stuck in the faucet, somehow. He brought me a robe, but it kind of got wet. Anyway, he got my toe out and then things were fine. But, on the way to the restaurant he showed me the letter.  
I didn't know what to do. I was so nervous. I don't even remember what I said. Then he…um…kissed me. And in the restaurant, when he kissed me again, I got all flustered and spilled the water from the waiter on myself."  
"He kissed you in the restaurant? That sounds promising. It must have been some kiss if it got you that nervous!" she teased.  
At first, Betty felt strange talking to Daniel's mother about her date with him, but she felt better after talking to Claire. It felt like…well having a mother to talk to for a change. Claire made her realize that Daniel's feelings were genuine, and were not simply a reaction to her 'make-over' or even to her leaving and him missing her. They were something that had been developing over a long time.  
It was still all a huge surprise to Betty, though. She didn't quite know how to react to this turn of events in her life. Someone she had grown to care a great deal for, okay to love, she could admit to herself, but as her best friend. She had never allowed herself to have any real romantic feelings for Daniel.  
He was off limits. He was her boss. And in spite of all the nasty rumors she was well aware of (especially after Molly died, and in particular after Daniel had punched Matt!); Betty was determined to keep things professional.  
She hated that people thought she did things for (or to) Daniel to get her job. It really bothered her. She had worked really hard and she was more than willing to do anything to get ahead, but certainly not what she was accused of by the rumor mill! Again, one of the reasons she had chosen to travel across an ocean to start over.  
However, now that she was no longer employed at Meade, she had to admit the idea of actually dating Daniel was…well intriguing, for sure. He was definitely a good kisser! She was somewhat appalled at her own behavior last night. But, at least she could blame the wine. Now, she was going to spend time with him in the daytime. A day date, just her and Daniel. She shouldn't be so nervous.  
It wasn't like she hadn't spent plenty of time with the man. She and Daniel had spent almost every waking hour together for three years. Then, they drifted apart a little when she became a Features Editor and was no longer his assistant. But they still had their weekly lunches and called each other all the time, and frequently hung out as friends.  
She helped him get over the Molly's death. He helped her get over Henry and Matt. They were always there for each other. They were best friends. Until she had left. Now he was here…for her. Actually, he was here. Right now-at her door.  
"Hey! Wow, it's so weird to see you at your door, Betty! I almost don't recognize you with your clothes on, and dry!" he smiled.  
"Yes, and look, I managed to dress myself, too, this time!" she laughed.  
"Well, like I said, if you ever need any help with that, just let me know." he grinned sheepishly.  
She hit his arm, "Thanks, but I think you've helped enough!"  
"Okay, suit yourself, miss independent. Just know I'm always available, day or night, anything for my girlfriend." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  
"Daniel! I'm not really…comfortable with…with you calling me that…"  
"Yet?" he asked. "Okay, Betty. That's fine, but if I weren't such a damn gentleman, we would have woken up together this morning, so I would think that it wasn't such a leap for you, but…I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Ariel."  
"Ariel?" She looked puzzled, then laughed, "Oh, you mean the bathtub thing…ha, funny, Daniel. So, where do you need to go to get 'household stuff', then groceries? Hey, aren't I going to cramp your style at the store?"  
"That's okay, Betty. I've got you." He pulled her by the hand out the door. As he passed her he whispered, "babe". She lifted up her shoulders, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck tickle as he did.  
They soon found their comfortable groove, just joking and talking like they normally did as they looked through Harrod's, finding him things like soup ladles, utensils, glassware, dishes, and cups and saucers, and sheets. She admittedly found it strange that Daniel was asking her what thread count she liked!  
They finished shopping and headed to get some lunch at Petrus.  
"Water or wine, Betty?" Daniel teased.  
"Thanks, mister comedian, I'll have some tea. We are in England!"  
"I'm disappointed. I was just getting ready to enter you in that wet tee-shirt contest. I think you'd have a really good shot at winning." He grinned, impishly.  
"So, Daniel. Do you want to um…talk about last night?"  
"Last night? I told you, Betty. Nothing happened. Honestly. Do you really not believe me?" he seemed concerned that she thought he was lying. "Come on, you weren't THAT drunk were you? Don't you think if we slept together, you'd…remember?"  
"That's not what I meant, Daniel. I know we…didn't, do that. I just meant…everything you told me and just what you expect or whatever, you know?"  
"Oh. Yeah. Sure. Well, what do you expect, or want to happen with us, Betty?"  
"I don't know. You're the one who…"  
"Who quit my job and flew to London? Yeah. I know. I did, Betty. But that means the ball's in your court. I pretty much told you where I stand already. So, what do you think? What would you like me to do? Court you? Date for…how long?"  
Betty was getting a little nervous about his look as he put his hand on hers on the table. "I…um, what are you asking me, Daniel? How many dates it will take to sleep with me or something? Is that really what this is about?  
I'm just a little worried that…that if we did that, you'd be catching the first plane back to New York and I'd never see you again, so…if you want me, you're going to have to date me for a really long time before you get me into bed. I'm not one of your models who jumps into bed the minute you bat your eyes at me, Daniel. We have a history.  
This is a really good friendship. I don't want to take sleeping with you lightly, because I couldn't stand it if we weren't even friends anymore. I thought when you cut me off like you did that that had already happened and it was killing me.  
But, now, I'm going to try my best to keep you from charming me into your bed as long as I possibly can, Daniel. Because I'm not ready to let you leave, now that you've come all this way. I like having you here. I missed you." She reached across the table and kissed him thoroughly, putting her hand on the back of his head.  
He seemed taken aback. Both by what she had said and by her kiss. When she finally pulled away, he was still somewhat speechless. Finally, he smiled at her and ran his hand up her arm, suggestively, "Okay, Betty. You've got it. I'll be happy to date you for a really long time." He held up air quotes.  
"But if you expect to keep things platonic, you might want to stay away from this stuff" he held up her glass of wine, "because you only get one free pass with me. The next time you come onto me, I won't be such a good boy, regardless of how sloshed you are, okay? This is your one warning, babe."  
She grinned, "Fair enough, Daniel. I've been warned. I'll make sure not to get so drunk that I tempt you again. I think that is fair. I am very grateful that you kept a cool head last night when I didn't. It wouldn't have been a good thing to fall into bed the first night. I think I would have regretted it very much."  
"Gee, thanks, Betty. I think I could have made it a little fun, though." He teased.  
She blushed, "No, I didn't mean that, Daniel. I…"  
The waiter brought their dessert. "Oh my God, that looks so yummy!" Betty exclaimed as they were served the passion fruit ice-cream in a chocolate cornetto. She took a bite and closed her eyes, then had to laugh as Daniel was once again, watching her with delight.  
"Daniel! Really, are you going to insist on watching me eat all the time? It's kind of weird! I ate plenty around you before and I don't remember you watching me like this!"  
He shrugged, "Well, that's mainly because I never let you catch me watching you. I can be very sneaky when I want to be, Betty. But, hey, if you seriously expect to keep me from…anything more fulfilling, I'll get my kicks where I can. Would you seriously deny me a little harmless gratification?" he kissed her on the cheek.  
She shook her head, laughing. "Fine, whatever…um…gets you off, I guess, Daniel." she teased.  
He laughed, "Yeah, I guess it does seem kind of pathetic. See what you've reduced me to, Betty? If Suzuki knew the depths I've sunk to in order to pursue you, he'd seriously take away my standing on Page Six."  
"You haven't been on Page Six since…"  
"Before Molly? Yeah, I guess not. That's okay. Everybody has to grow up sooner or later, I guess."  
"Oh, that reminds me, Daniel. I ran into an old friend of yours last week."  
"Oh, yeah? Who?"  
"Beckett Scott."  
"Really? What's he up to?" Daniel tried not to show his concern. Becks was not someone he wanted snooping around Betty.  
"Oh not much. He was just getting into town from working in Iraq. He had some business at Dunne. He didn't remember me, until I mentioned your name."  
"Did he hit on you?" Daniel couldn't help himself. He knew his friend too well and knew exactly how he operated.  
"No! He just asked me out to lunch to catch up."  
"Please! Betty, that's just how the guy operates! He pretends like he's your best pal, this nice guy and he starts telling you all about his adventures in the outback or wherever he did his last photo shoot and before you know it, you're counting ceiling tiles in his bedroom." Daniel was getting worked up. But Betty was not impressed this time with his overprotectiveness.  
"I'm sorry, do you think you're my father, Daniel? Believe it or not, I can take care of my own…body without you!"  
"Sorry, Betty, but do you think Becks would have slept on the couch if that had been him with you last night? You almost slept with me, so believe me-he would have not been so nice!"  
"Nice! Please!" She stopped herself. No matter how annoyed she was with Daniel for acting like her big brother over her having lunch with Becks, she didn't want to get into an argument.  
"Look, I think it's sweet that you're worried about me, Daniel. But, it's done. We had lunch, nothing else happened. So, there's nothing to get all worked about, okay?" She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, then added, "boyfriend."  
She could tell he was still upset about Becks, but he didn't want to fight, either, so he smiled weakly, "I..uh, thought you weren't comfortable calling me that…yet, Betty."  
She shrugged, showing her mega-watt smile, "It's growing on me.  
"Wanna take a walk in the park then, girlfriend?" he teased.  
"Okay. I haven't gotten to do that since I got here, if you can believe that! I really haven't gotten to do much sights-seeing at all!"  
"Really? Well, maybe we could go to some places you'd like to see today and tomorrow. If you don't have too much work."  
"That would be really fun, Daniel. I'd like that."  
"See, we can do things that don't involve sex."  
"I know that! Who said anything about sex?"  
"Oh, I thought that's what we were both thinking. I guess it was just me, huh?" he grinned.  
"Daniel, stop doing that…"  
"Doing what?"  
"That think where you look all mopey with your eyes. I know you get girls all mushy with that move. I've seen you do it. But, it won't work on me. I know all your little player moves way too well, buster."  
"I see. So, I'm completely busted, huh? I guess you expect me to completely just through my 'player' book out the window?"  
"Well, yes. If you expect to get anywhere with me, I think you do. That's just to get girls, right?"  
"Yeah, basically, I guess."  
"So, if you're not trying to get other girls, then you don't need them. Just be yourself and we'll see how things develop naturally. No games, right?"  
He put his arm around her as they walked on the sidewalk, winding their way through the park, enjoying the scenery as they walked.  
"No games, just…us. I guess I can do that. But I think I deserve some extra credit for two things, Betty."  
"Two things? What would those be?"  
"Well, that I made the first move, literally, I moved for you. I do get some credit for being the one to come and pursue you, right?" he asked, hopefully.  
"Well, yeah, of course. What kind of 'credit did you have in mind?"  
Suddenly, someone bumped into Daniel, "Daniel? What are YOU doing here? Betty? Are you two…together?"  
Daniel looked anything but happy to see his old friend. He knew this was no more an accidental meeting than his 'bumping' into Betty had been the previous day. He smiled at his former 'hunting' buddy and gave Betty a knowing look.  
"Hey, there Becks. Yes, we are, actually. Betty was just telling me she had lunch with you earlier. How long are you staying in London? I just moved here myself."  
"Moved here? Permanently? You left New York?"  
"Yeah. I did." He gave Becks a look that let him know he was not backing down. He kept his arm firmly around Betty's waist.  
"I see. Betty, you were holding out on me when we had our lunch date. I didn't know you were seeing this guy."  
Betty was somewhat stupefied. She could see these two had a long-standing rivalry that really had nothing to do with her. She knew they were old friends, but had no idea what kind of friends they were. Were they always just competing for women, she wondered? Well, she had no intention of being their shiny prize. She pulled away from Daniel.  
"Well, that's because he just surprised me yesterday, Becks. I…didn't know he was coming here when we had lunch. But, listen, I need to get home and check on some emails. Sorry, Daniel. I forgot, I'll be home if you need any more help getting set up in your new place, you can call me later. But, I really need to get a little work done. You two go ahead and catch up. Bye!" She kissed him briefly on the cheek.  
Daniel stared after her for a moment, then gave Becks an annoyed look, "What are you doing hanging around Betty?"  
"Good to see you, too, pal! I seriously had no idea you were into her. I mean, she was your assistant for four years, Daniel! I just assumed you weren't interested. How long does it take the great Daniel Meade to man up these days?" he grinned and slapped Daniel on the back.  
"I…I just never looked at her that way before, okay? What's your sudden interest?"  
"Well, for one thing, I just happened to be here and I saw her at Dunne when I was dropping off some proofs. I honestly didn't even recognize her, she looks so great. She is the one who said hi to me, Daniel. I didn't know you had some prior claim on her or anything, I swear. She actually didn't seem to want to talk much about you. I got the impression you two had some kind of falling out or something."  
"Well, yeah. I was really upset when she left Mode. I acted like a big baby about it and that's one reason I decided to come here and apologize to her. But, look, Becks, I really don't want to fight over Betty. This isn't just some girl to compete over. I'm in love with her."  
"What? Seriously? I didn't know you…um did that."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You know, I just thought you were like always onto a new girl."  
"Like you?"  
"Yeah, like me. I know we've been running in different circles lately, Daniel, and we haven't exactly kept in touch since…well, since you're dad died, I guess. But, you…in love?"  
"Hey, you knew I was married, right? I called your mom and asked her to let you know when I didn't know how to reach you."  
"Yeah, after the fact. I would have thought I'd at least get an actual invite to the wedding, Daniel. I don't know, maybe even be asked to be best man or something. I just got an email from my mom."  
"I…didn't get much time with Molly. She was sick. She had cancer and died. Before we even got a honeymoon. I'm surprised your mom didn't tell you."  
Becks looked shocked, "Oh, wow! I'm sorry, Daniel. I guess mom didn't know how to tell me. Honestly, it's not just you I haven't been keeping up with lately. I'm kind of on the outs with my whole family right now. Mom is even pissed at me."  
"Why? What did you do this time?" Daniel smiled.  
"Hey, why do you just assume it was me who did something wrong? You wound me, buddy!"  
"Well, what happened?"  
"I hit on this girl who I later found out was my new sister-in-law."  
"Ouch! Not good. So, listen, can I get some kind of gentleman's agreement that you'll back off with Betty?" Daniel asked nervously.  
"Sure, sure. Far be it from me to stand in the way of true love, Daniel. I still wonder what took you so long. She's seriously hot. How could you have let her get away in the first place without nailing her? Now you had to come all the way over here to chase her down?"  
"I told you, I'm not just trying to 'nail her', I'm really in love with her, okay? I…just didn't know it before, it took her leaving for me to realize what she meant to me, I think."  
"Aww, very cute, Daniel. Puppy love. You're frickin adorable! Well, no worries, I'm only going to be here for a week or two, anyway. I'll let you have your fun. I know I totally gave you the block there earlier, sorry! It looked like you were about to lay some moves on her right then!" he teased. "Wouldn't want to get you all blue, so…good luck!"  
He had never wanted to punch Becks as much as he did right then.  
He said goodbye and headed off to Betty's place. He was trying to figure out what tourist trap she would like to hit the most. The Tate? Stonehenge? That was a drive and he hated London traffic. Maybe she wanted to see Buckingham Palace? Hell, he really didn't know. He had a thought.  
Glancing at his phone, he figured the time difference and texted Justin. He was so glad Betty had been efficient enough to enter so many contacts into his phone for him when he first got it. Not that he couldn't have done it himself, but now, he had lots of contacts he wouldn't have known otherwise, like her brilliant nephew, he smiled as he got a reply, good, he was awake!  
"Justin? Hey, sorry to bother you on a Saturday morning."  
"You're in London, aren't you, Daniel? So I see you finally got off your rich butt and figured out your in love with Aunt Betty, huh?"  
Daniel was shocked, how the hell did Justin knew how he felt about Betty? He didn't know it himself until…well, "How did you know how I felt about your Aunt Betty, Justin?"  
"Puh-leeze, Daniel! You were practically drooling over her at mom's wedding. Plus, I have eyes, lover boy. You and AB have been dancing around your feelings for years. There were whole websites at Mode devoted to when you two would be doing the mattress mambo. If you would have manned up six months ago, I'd be a very rich man right now."  
"I see. Well, sorry to disappoint you, Justin. Listen, I just wanted to know what you think Betty would like to do as a sort of tourist thing date tonight?"  
"She's very traditional when it comes to that kind of thing, Daniel. Maybe try taking her to Madame Trousseau's and Hard Rock Café."  
"Seriously? That sounds kind of…I don't know, lame…"  
"This is Betty you're trying to please, not yourself, right? I mean, you would do The Savoy Grille or Petrus or something, but AB isn't that fancy. I mean, she can do fancy. But, she likes to be comfortable, too. Just let loose, and she'll be more herself, you know? Not all nervous and afraid to make a mistake."  
Daniel thought a minute. Maybe Justin had a point. He had been trying to impress Betty, but he needed to make sure she was comfortable. "Thanks, Justin!"  
"No worries, Daniel! Good luck! Is this your first date?"  
"Well, no. We went out last night, but…I need to strike while the iron is hot, here."  
"Sorry?"  
"I think I have some serious competition."  
"Betty has a boyfriend already? That was quick. Well, I guess a month isn't really that fast. Is it someone from her work?"  
"Not really. It's my old friend, Becks. He already took her to lunch last week. I laid my cards on the table and told him I was in love with Betty, and asked him to back off. But, I know him and that's probably not going to work for him. As long as he thinks he has a shot, he's not going to leave her alone…unless I lied and told him Betty and I were engaged or something."  
"That sucks! Does she like him?"  
"I don't know. I know she kind of had a crush on him the first time she met him in New York, but that was a long time ago. Since then, after some of the stories I told her of he and I chasing women, I thought she was sort of disgusted."  
"Daniel, she's not disgusted by you."  
"I hope not. I don't think so."  
"Well, it sounds like you two are a lot alike. So, unfortunately, if she likes you, she could also like him, you know? But, she knows you and I think she really cares about you a lot more than she lets on. I just think she was always so determined to prove to everyone that she deserved her job, no matter how many people said you guys had already hooked up, she hated that idea people had about how she didn't deserve her job."  
"Yeah. I guess I never realized how hard that must have been for her to deal with people thinking that about her when it wasn't true. She's really had to overcome a lot."  
"Well, good luck with your date. Hope it goes well, Daniel."  
"Thanks, Justin."

Chapter 6: Chapter 6 My Palms are Sweaty

Chapter 6: My Palms Get Sweaty  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
Betty practically ran to her flat. She had a sinking feeling that she had unwittingly become the prize that Daniel and Becks were going after in their stupid rich, frat-boy rivalry that she had observed back in New York. She cringed at some of the stories Daniel had shared with her a few times when they had had a few too many drinks about his exploits with his semi-ex wing man.  
She quickly ran to her computer and followed up on her emails. She hadn't been lying; she did have things she could be doing for work. That always seemed to be the cased. She had actually been grateful to be so busy with her new job. It hadn't been a problem so far, since other than her lunch with Becks, she'd had very little in the way of a social life.  
Other than the binge she'd gone on with Christina the first weekend she'd gotten there. That was so fun, and so crazy. She just wished she remembered more of it! Christine always encouraged Betty to let loose. Since it had been the weekend after she arrived in London and she had been feeling really upset about leaving things so badly with Daniel and getting a bit homesick for New York, her crazy friend's antics had been just the change she needed.  
She had had her nose to the grindstone the whole week she had been there. She only had one day to recover from her jet-lag, and had hit the ground running the following day.  
"Betty! It's so good to hear from ya, luv'! How's my favorite American editor, then? Are you working again over the weekend? I gotta tell you, I'm gonna be there in London next weekend, so I'm goin to get yer head out of that laptop of yours and take you out to fanny up yer skirt a bit, eh? There's a great new club I heard about…"  
"Christine, Daniel is here." Betty interrupted suddenly.  
"Daniel? Your Daniel?"  
"Yes! My Daniel. Daniel Meade. Is here, in London. He, he followed me here. He bumped into me at Trafalgar Square yesterday morning and asked me out. Then, we kind of had a date. Now, he's taking me out again tonight, in a few hours."  
"I see. Interesting. He followed you there. What's he after? Is he still spouting that 'can't live without you stuff'? Cause I've got a feelin' he's not talking about you as a friend, like you always seem to think, Betty."  
"Oh, no…you were right on that. He definitely wants to be more than friends. Christine, he told me he loves me."  
"He did?"  
"Yep. Have you seen the Mode 100th Anniversary Issue yet?"  
"No, I just got it in the mail day before yesterday. I haven't really had a chance to look at it yet, why?"  
"Go get it and…um read Daniel's Letter from the Editor. Tell me what you think, huh? Call me back, please. I'm just getting dressed."  
"Okay, Betty. I'll call you back in a few minutes."  
Betty went to get on some jeans and a t-shirt. She didn't think they were going anywhere fancy tonight. She wasn't really sure where he had in mind. She started pacing again, in her bedroom.  
Suddenly, her door buzzed. She went to see her neighbor standing there, "Hey, Marissa! Thanks for giving Daniel my key last night. Here, I've got it, if you don't mind holding onto it for me again."  
"Sure, luv'. So, Betty, where did that gorgeous man come from? You two have a spat or something before you came here, or what's the story? He's very yummy! Those eyes! How did things go when he got in? Were you handcuffed to your bed or something?"  
"Okay, okay! Enough with the questions. Here's the key. I'm sorry, but I'm expecting a call from my friend from Scotland right now. Daniel and I are old friends. We worked together in New York and he's here now, so he looked me up. I got my toe stuck in the stupid faucet and he had to help me."  
"Really? That sounds like a good enough reason to get naked for him. Good call, Betty! I might try that one myself sometime. So, did he.."  
Betty firmly pushed Marissa out the door, "Marissa! We'll talk later, okay? Sorry, but…" her phone rang, right on cue!  
"Thank God! Christina, you have great timing! That stupid Marissa was asking way too many questions about Daniel and she was making me nervous."  
"I'm sorry, Betty. This is Becks, not Christina. But you've got me curious, now. Who is stupid Marissa? And what kind of questions about Daniel would make you so nervous?"  
Betty laughed, "Oh, sorry, Becks. I was just expecting a call from Christina, my friend from Scotland. I think you met her in New York. She was the seamstress at Mode, and she's an up and coming designer now. She and her husband moved back here to the UK with their little boy over a year and a half ago."  
"Maybe. I probably met her. That was a long time ago, though."  
"Well, she's married, so she likely wasn't on your radar." Betty teased.  
"Hey! Just because I'm sure your ex-boss has trashed me totally, don't believe everything he told you about me. I'm actually a very sensitive, caring guy. I recycle, reduce and re-use! I especially like to conserve water by showering with a friend, that kind of thing."  
"How green of you! You're a regular conservationist! What can I do for you, Becks?"  
"Sorry?"  
"The reason you called?"  
"Oh, well. I just wanted to congratulate you and Daniel, I guess. I heard from him that you two are an item. I must say, I don't know what took the guy so long to realize how great you were. I could tell back in New York you were a real…"  
"Okay, stop, Becks! You didn't even remember me from New York. I had braces and glasses, which is clearly almost as repellent as a wedding ring for you, so don't even try that stuff with me.  
And I know Daniel well enough to know he wouldn't be telling you that when he just got here and we haven't exactly figured things out ourselves, so what is this, really? Are you trying to feel me out to see if I'll get mad at him for supposedly saying that to you or what? What kind of game are you playing?"  
"Whoa! Wow! Beautiful and smart!" he seemed genuinely impressed, laughing, "Okay, Betty. You've got me. Dead to rights.  
That's exactly what I was doing. I'm sorry. You can't blame a guy for trying, though. I must say, I wouldn't mind feeling you out, that's for sure. Man, all I can say is, if I were Daniel, I seriously would not have let you get all the way across an ocean! I am in earnest, though. I hope you two work things out.  
But, if he ever gives you a problem, don't hesitate to give me a call and I'll be happy to teach him some manners for you. Be careful; he flashes those pretty blue eyes of his and girls have been known to throw their panties at the guy. I'll give him his due.  
But I'd hate to see him just use you like that, then run away. You're something special, Betty. Don't let the guy sweet-talk his way into your…"  
"Bed? Funny, he said the exact same thing about you. You have blue eyes, too, Becks. Thanks for the warning, though. I'll…keep it in mind. I've got to go, now. Maybe I'll see you at Dunne's sometime before you leave. Take care!"  
"Okay, bye, Betty. You watch out for Danny-boy! See you later!" her phone beeped with a call on the other line. Finally!  
"Christina?" This time, she heard her friend's voice, "Betty! Good Lord, I must've read this thing six times now! He's in love with you? What did you do when you read this? Does he know you've seen it?"  
"Okay, slow down, I know you've probably got a million questions, and so do I, believe me. Yes, he gave it to me to read."  
Betty told her friend all about running into Daniel on the steps, and their date, as well as the deal she had made with him concerning dating for some time before taking things to the next level.  
"Next level, I always hated that expression. Listen, I say, it happens when it happens. I don't blame you for not rushin with Daniel, though. That's usually his style, wham, bam, thank-you, ma'am, so yer wise to take yer time and make him wait."  
"I'm just worried I won't be able to wait." She confessed. "I got so drunk last night, I came onto him. If he had gone through with it, we'd already have had sex."  
"Part of you sort of wishes you had, eh?" Christine narrowed her eyes.  
"Well, maybe. I mean, I know it would have been such a mistake. Who does that? Go to bed on a first date? I'm not a…hoochie."  
"Of course yer not! Although, if you figure yer time at Mode…that's an awful lot of foreplay, Betty. The man's got it comin, a little bit, and you definitely have."  
"But that's just it, Christine. Why did he wait so long? He could have told me he loved me in New York."  
"Well, maybe he didn't know it until it was too late. Then, he knew you might not have come here. You might have resented him for keeping you from following your dreams."  
"That's true. He sort of said that, I guess. That makes sense. I just hate that he quit his job for me. What's he going to do now?"  
Christina sighed, "Well, he's rich, so he can afford to just follow you around all day, writin you love poems and ticklin yer toes in the tub, then waiting till you get drunk and randy again, so he can take advantage of ya!" she teased.  
"Funny! Listen, I've got to go, he's here. Wish me luck!"  
"Like you'll need it! Although, perhaps I should say it's him is gettin' lucky, eh?" she laughed.  
"Not tonight he's not!"  
"Never say never, Betty. Have a good time with Mr. Meade! Don't do anything I wouldn't do, luv'!"  
"That doesn't narrow down my options much, but thanks!" Betty ran to the door to see Daniel, wearing the same jeans and a button down shirt. He still looked very casual, but more date-like.  
Betty looked down at her own attire. "Should I change? Where are we going?" she laughed. "Sorry, come in. I just got off the phone, and Marissa came over. I'm going a little nuts here."  
"Oh. You don't need to change, though. You look-great. I don't think I've ever seen you in jeans. I just thought you might want to do a little tourist-y stuff. Have you been to Madame Troussoud's yet?"  
"No! I'd love to go there. I know it's really boring for you, probably, but I was working when I came here with Hilda and Amanda, so I didn't get to go with them. I didn't get to do much of anything that trip except work."  
"You found time to flash your ex-boyfriend in a bar!"  
She smiled, "Jealous?"  
"Well, yeah. You never flashed me…in a bar or anywhere else. And then, come to find out he was engaged?"  
"Excuse me, Daniel I had my bra on when I flashed Gio."  
"Yeah, so?"  
"I flashed you last night without anything on, remember?" she whispered as they headed out the door.  
He looked shocked, but offered his arm, like he always did. "I do now! Thanks for the visual memory, Betty. Too bad I can't add it to my screen savers!"  
After they had talked and laughed for a time, they arrived at the museum, and while they were waiting in line, Daniel seemed figgety. Finally, she asked, "Something going on that you'd like to share with the class, Mr. Meade? You act like you've got ants in your pants or something."  
"What? Oh, well. I just…I think I did something really stupid and I am wondering if you would mind…going along with it for me."  
"What did you do this time, Daniel?"  
He couldn't help flash back to saying the same thing to Becks only hours ago. Maybe Justin was right. If Betty was attracted to him, why wouldn't she like Becks, too? She clearly liked 'bad boys'.  
"I…uh, didn't tell my mom where I was staying. Well, I did, but I lied about it."  
"Why? Oh…" she remembered Daniel telling her about his new place being one of Bradford's properties where he 'entertained' Fay Summers.  
"Where did you tell her you were staying?" she suddenly knew, "You told her you were staying with me?"  
"Wow, okay, I guess you really do know me, huh? Yeah. I did. I'm sorry, Betty. I panicked. I didn't want to say I was staying at a hotel. I mean, I told her I was at one at first, but that I talked to you about staying with you, at least until I got my own place. I'm sorry. I just couldn't tell her…you know."  
She nodded, "Well, wait, I don't understand, Daniel. I thought you were going to Paris next week. When is she coming?"  
"Tuesday. And next week is postponed. Alexis is going to be taking DJ on a surprise ski trip to Switzerland. They won't be back for a few weeks. She didn't know I was coming, so…I didn't want her to change her plans."  
"Okay."  
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry. It's okay. I'll figure out a way to tell her somehow. I need to go through the place with a fine-tooth comb and make sure there isn't anything to remind my mom of Fay there."  
"Daniel, I just said okay. You can…stay with me. Just while your mom is here. I have the extra bedroom, so she and I can stay in one and you can.."  
"Betty, I kind of already told her…"  
"Daniel! You told her we had…you lied to her?"  
"No! I didn't say we had done anything, I just said that you had an extra bedroom that she could probably have and she is the one who just assumed…I guess. Wait, she said you guys talked, what did you tell her?"  
"Well, I certainly didn't tell her we had slept together, Daniel! I just told her you were here and you had shown me the letter you wrote and we had gone out. That's all. How she got we were going to shack up together from that, I have no idea. She's your mother!"  
"Exactly! Betty. She's my mom. Where do you think I get it from? My…well, presumptuousness, or whatever you want to call it. Keep in mind…you remember my dad. He clearly couldn't keep it in his pants. Then, you've got my mom who flashed you the first time you two hung out at the spa…and put them together and you get me!"  
Her eyes suddenly got big as she actually thought about it for a moment, "Oh, I see what you mean. Wow, I guess you really didn't have a chance. It's amazing you're as nice and normal as you are, Daniel."  
He laughed, "Thanks. I think. Anyway. I don't know if my mom thought she was playing a little joke on us…pretending to assume we were 'shacking up' or whatever. But, I promise, I did not tell her we did anything…except she got it out of me that we kissed, and that you stayed over last night. But I told her I slept on the couch, I swear, Betty! I'm sorry. I'm not usually such a blabber mouth, but my mom always manages to get stuff out of me…"  
She smiled, "It's okay, Daniel. I understand. She's your mommy."  
He grinned, "Yeah, and I'm such a momma's boy, huh?"  
She shrugged, "That's okay. I think it's sweet. I'm a little upset with your mom, right now for trying to pull one over on us, playing matchmaker or whatever she thinks she's doing."  
He shrugged, as they moved forward in the line, and came to the entrance. "I really want to see the one of Princess Diana." Betty told him. "Come on."  
"Listen, Betty. I don't want to put you out or anything. You've got work and it's the middle of the week. Why don't I just get her a hotel and pretend that it's mine and she can just stay with me."  
"It's fine, Daniel. I know you're rich, but that's ridiculous to just throw away money like that. I love your mom like she was my own mother. She's been so good to me. She's my friend, too. I really don't mind her staying with me for a few days. It's fine."  
"Yeah, but…what about the sleeping arrangements? I could…sleep on your couch."  
"That would look like we were fighting or something. It's fine. You can sleep with me." she said matter-of-factly.  
He looked puzzled, but thrilled, "I can? But I thought you said…"  
She rolled her eyes, "Sleep. Like as in what normal people sometimes do in a bed, Daniel. Actually sleep, you know? I mean, your mom is going to be in the next room, anyway. What are you going to do? Attack me with her listening? We're adults. We can sleep in the same bed. It's a big bed. There's plenty of room. If you get too excited or whatever, I'll kick you out and you can sleep in the recliner in my room!" she teased.  
"Okay." He seemed somewhat surprised that Betty was going along with this so easily. She was willing to have him share her bed? He wondered…maybe she actually wanted something to happen? He tried not to keep flashing back to the previous night, with his image of her flushed and tipsy, asking him, 'Daniel, do you mean you don't want to?'  
He had replayed that in his mind over and over most of last night until he passed out and many, many times today so far. He felt like if he relived it enough, maybe he could pretend the outcome had been different and he had acted on her suggestion like he had wanted to so badly.  
Part of him was dreading the awkward situation he would soon be faced with, though. What the hell was his mom thinking? She was butting in, and it was a little soon. The last thing he wanted to do was have Betty scared off and go running to Becks for comfort. Not to mention, he hadn't even seen the competition at her new place of business.  
He imagined suave, British guys all hitting on her, with their stupid accents and all looking like young versions of Pierce Brosnan. He hated British guys. American women seemed to lose all their senses when a guy with a British accent came by, it was sickening.  
After they had taken pictures with the Queen, Diana, and Prince William, they found their way to the Hard Rock Café. Betty looked hesitant, "Daniel. You want to eat here? It's kind of tourist-y."  
"Yeah, so, we're tourists, sort of, at least for now. I am, anyway, until I get me a job. You're more of an ex-pat. Very cool."  
She giggled as they were able (somehow, she figured Daniel had already done some phone magic) to be seated fairly quickly. "You know, Daniel, you could be anybody you want, now. That's pretty cool, too. You could be…an American writer, or advertiser, or public relations person or…"  
"Werewolf!" he laughed.  
"What?"  
He pointed to the picture on the wall, "I could be an American Werewolf in London…just like in the movie."  
She laughed, "Okay. Well, just don't come howling to me if you wake up naked in the tube station. I like the new werewolf guys better nowadays-their definitely sexier."  
He laughed, "Okay. Well, we can't all be ripping our shirts off and running through the woods."  
Her phone went off, and she saw it was a text from Becks. She ignored it, and put her phone on silent.  
"Do you need to get that? Is it important?"  
She shook her head, "No. It can wait. It's just something from work. I'm here with you now. That's more important."  
He grinned at her and leaned forward, "I'm really glad to hear you say that, Betty. I think you're important, too, and I'm very glad you're here with me." he kissed her, very slowly and tenderly.  
As they parted, she looked into his eyes, and took a breath, trying to remember exactly what her game plan had been to keep things from heating up too quickly. For the life of her, right now, she couldn't seem to remember…much of anything, actually.  
He brushed away her hair, with his elbow on the table, he was still leaning with his face right next to hers. She was inhaling that great cologne of his, again, and thinking how much she wanted, oh, hell…she pulled him down and kissed him back.  
This time, they both got very involved in exploring each other's mouths, until Betty felt very tingly and light-headed. She moaned softly, which just spurred Daniel on to kiss her more forcefully and pull her towards him. The waiter had come by a few times and circled. Now he cleared his throat, and said, "Excuse me, but I have your orders here. Sorry."  
They broke apart and took their meals. Betty looked over and was shocked to see Daniel blushing and looking down. She didn't know if she had ever seen him blush. She had seen him act a little uncomfortable, mainly because he could see she was when she had opened her door that time to have him in his boxers after spending the night at Amanda's.  
Not something she wanted to think about now. Besides, she knew Daniel had never really loved Amanda. He was just lonely after Molly died and Amanda was more than willing to give him sex, while Betty had comforted him in every other way. Now, it seems, she might be willing to do that, too.  
She felt very flush and more than a little shaky on the whole big speech she had given him earlier about wanting to wait a long time…before anything happened. Who the hell was she kidding? They had known each other for four and a half years…what was she waiting for? She practically wanted to scream. Instead, she just ate her hamburger, and looked up to see he was watching her with a satisfied smirk.  
"What are you looking so happy about? Is your food that good?"  
He shrugged, "It's fine. I just am really glad that you're my new girlfriend, that's all. I missed you so much, Betty. You have no idea how scared I was when I came here that you were never going to forgive me for being so selfish and rude to you. You're really sweet to even give me the time of day after the way I acted." He took her hand and kissed it.  
She felt her pulse racing again. How did Daniel's touching her all of a sudden have this crazy effect on her? She wondered. She smiled at him, hoping he wouldn't notice how sweaty her palms were right now. But it felt like his were, too, if she weren't mistaken.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Can You Hear Me Now?

Chapter 7: Can You Hear Me Now?  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm so glad to see Becks has such a loyal fan base. No worries. Not to be my own spoiler, but remember in UB world, looks can be deceiving! I love Becks! Have no fear, Detty/Becks lovers; all will be revealed. Most of this chapter consists of phone conversations; hence the title.  
Betty stood at her door, looking up at Daniel shyly. Her back was to the door, and he had one hand up on the side of the door. He smiled down at her, "I had a good time being a tourist with you, today, Betty.  
I never thought it would be that much fun to try and get the guards to smile. I can't believe you did that! You're getting to be quite the daring girl over here. Is it something about being on this side of the Atlantic or just…taking chances and starting fresh?"  
She giggled, "Well, it is the typical American tourist thing to do, isn't it?"  
"Yeah, I guess. I just wouldn't think you would do that…unless you had been drinking, maybe."  
"I don't really drink all that often…or that much normally. That's probably one reason I got so…affected before. No, I just wanted to let loose for a change, act like a typical tourist, that's all."  
He nodded, "I understand. So, I guess I'm not going to get to come in for coffee? Or anything…?"  
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Daniel, do you? We had a really great time. Let's just leave it at that. I don't really want a repeat of last night."  
He leaned forward a little so that he was closer to her. "We haven't been drinking tonight, Betty. I don't think we would have the same issues we had last night."  
"It's not just that, Daniel. I just think we both need time to adjust to this whole situation. It would be too easy to get carried away, don't you think?"  
"Is that really such a bad thing to get carried away?" He leaned even closer now, so that he was mere inches away from her lips. She noticed his gaze looking down on her cleavage. She could feel his breath on her and she swore she was having a heart attack. Was that possible? She definitely knew she wasn't breathing right.  
She started to answer, or try to, but of course, nothing intelligible came out. She felt like all her intelligence had left the building. She bit her lower lip, something she knew she did whenever she was nervous.  
She heard a sort of groan coming from Daniel as he quickly closed the very short distance between them and brushed his lips softly across hers, then pulled her towards him, grabbing her around the waist with one hand. He kept the other hand where it had been, above her, leaning on the door frame. She felt herself getting totally lost in his kiss and losing all the resolve she had previously had to keep him from coming inside at all costs.  
He leaned his body against hers tighter and Betty felt his hand drop to bring her leg up to rest against his hip. Whoa! Okay, she tried to slow things down, and pushed away slightly. The second she did, he released her and she reminded herself to breathe. "Sorry." He mumbled softly into her hair.  
He touched her lips with his finger, "I…didn't mean to get so carried away. Your lips are…too damn soft for your own good."  
She tried to keep telling herself to breathe, but it was an effort. She managed a breathy, "Yeah, yours, too."  
He looked down, seemingly embarrassed at his lack of self-control. "I'd better go. You were right; we're moving too fast. I'll call you tomorrow? Is nine too early?"  
She couldn't speak, so she just nodded her head and he kissed her forehead quickly, "Goodnight, Betty. Sweet Dreams."  
"Goodnight, Daniel. Thanks for tonight." He nodded and kissed her hand as he turned and left.  
She somehow managed to figure out how to work the lock again and go inside.  
After getting dressed for bed and finishing up what was left in the bottle of wine, which only amounted to a glass and a half, but she plopped herself on the couch and grabbed a pillow. What was that? She wondered how things had so suddenly heated up.  
She was proud of both of them for being able to stop before they had come inside and torn each other's clothes off in a flurry, and ended up making love against the wall, or the fridge, or on the table, or…if they even made it to the bedroom. She sighed. Okay. What did he say to her? Sweet dreams? Yeah, right, she thought. More like steamy dreams.  
She switched on the 'tellie' and then remembered she had ignored Becks' text. She noticed she had one from her sister, as well. She looked at Hilda's first. She told Betty she would be online in about an hour, so she made sure her laptop was ready. Then, she looked at Becks' and laughed.  
"Is D b-n good boy?  
She looked at the time, and thought it probably wasn't too late. She texted back, "He was. Thx 4 chkg."  
In less than a minute, she got his response. "Ur home saf n sound?"  
"yep."  
"alon?"  
"Yep.  
"wana b?"  
She hesitated. She didn't believe this guy. She shook her head and sighed. "Not reely, wish D was here."  
There, she thought. Maybe he would get the message. She probably shouldn't have even texted him. At first, she had thought he was being cute and big brother-y, just teasing her about Daniel being too forward. She should have known better. She was stupid.  
It's just that she was used to people like her dad and Daniel being overprotective of her. She was not really used to guys scamming on her. It was only because she had witnessed guys hitting on Hilda over the years that she even had a clue that Becks could possibly be trying to betray Daniel by using her.  
She didn't really think he would go that far, though. Maybe Daniel hadn't told him how he felt about her? She wondered if Becks just saw her as another 'girl' they would compete over and collect their token dollar? She felt certain Daniel didn't feel that way about her.  
So, it must just be a misunderstanding. She thought it best to just ignore any further communication from Becks altogether, so he didn't mistake her even talking to him as some kind of opening for him. Wow, having guys actually interested in her was proving to be a bit trickier than she thought. She saw that Amanda was online, so she invited her to video chat. "R u there? It's Betty!"  
She saw Amanda, putting on lipstick, "Betty! Ahoy, Matie! How's things in Merry Old London?"  
She saw Amanda do a double take. "Betty, is that you?"  
She nodded, "Yeah, Amanda. How are you? Are you going out tonight?"  
"Of course! Are you home, already? Where are your glasses, Betty? You look pretty."  
"Thank you, Amanda. That's sweet. My glasses broke, I'm wearing contacts. Yeah, I'm home. I'm really tired. I was up late last night, and woke up early this morning. So, where are you headed to…do you have a date?"  
She grinned, "Tyler is taking me dancing. We're leaving soon. So, who's got you staying up late and getting up early? You don't have a boyfriend already, do you?"  
Betty blushed when she heard the words, thinking of how cute Daniel had been when she called him that. "Maybe." She said now.  
Amanda seemed disappointed, "Well, whoever the loser is, dump him, Betty. You should have held out just a little longer. You will never in a million years guess who totally has the hots for you? You should, though. God knows, everybody at Mode has known forever. But guess who is on his way over there to come sweep you off your pudgy little feet, Mojito? You will never guess in a million years!" She seemed gleeful.  
Betty looked at her and smiled, "Daniel?"  
"No, Daniel! huh? You know?" She seemed disappointed that Betty had evidently figured out her news.  
"He's here. He's the 'boyfriend' I was with." She couldn't help being a little happy to see the look on Amanda's face.  
She had evidently misjudged her former frenemy, however.  
Amanda actually seemed happy for her, "Oh, that's sooooo sweet! Betty! He finally figured it out, and I know you love him, too! I KNEW it! I can't wait to tell Marc I was right! He knew it, too. He just didn't want to admit it. Sooo…tell me all about it, Betty! What happened? Have you guys done it yet?"  
"No, Amanda. We've only had two dates. Last night and tonight."  
"Okay, so, no big surprise, you're taking things slow. But…Betty, you know the third date is always the charm, even for 'nice girls' like you."  
"What? I don't think so, Amanda! Three dates isn't very many."  
"It is, too, Betty! Especially in your case! For Prada's sake, woman, you're going to give Daniel blue ball-itis, if you make him wait too much longer. Do you have any idea how long it's been for him? We stopped sleeping together months ago, when Tyler and I started dating. I don't think he slept with that Trista girl, either, cause he kind of dumped her for you! Then, all he did was drink and be sad when you left. I even called his old friend, Becks to see if he could take Daniel out and get him laid so he would cheer up."  
"Really? That's kind of strange."  
"Why? I'm sorry, Betty. I didn't mean anything. I just was worried about the guy. I never dreamed he'd get his head out of his butt enough to figure out he actually loved you! I definitely never thought he'd go and chase you all the way over there!"  
"No, I meant…Becks is here, too. He got into London last week. He took me out to lunch. We ran into him today and he just texted me. I was just wondering. Is he the type to…try and really…"  
"Screw Daniel over by sleeping with you?"  
"No! Well, sort of. He's got me wondering a little. Does he really seem like he would do that? Aren't he and Daniel friends? I mean, I know they compete over girls, but…"  
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know they've known each other a long time. Since they were kids or something. You're not considering him…over Daniel, are you, Betty?" She seemed genuinely worried.  
Betty shook her head, "No way. I don't even really know Becks. I'm just wondering what he's up to, that's all. I think I'm just going to ignore him completely from now on. He's only supposed to be in town for a few weeks, so…hopefully, he'll get the hint."  
"Sounds like a plan. Hey, Betty, I'm making sure Uncle papi doesn't get lonely since Hilda and Bobby moved out with Justin and you went over there."  
"Thanks, Amanda. Are you enjoying papi's flan?" she teased.  
She narrowed her eyes and smiled her seductive smile, "Oh, yeah…listen, Betty. I just want to say…good luck with Daniel. You guys…really belong together. I've seen how he looks at you all these years."  
She leaned forward, getting closer to the camera of her laptop, saying conspiratorially,  
"He's been in love with you for a really long time. And you…talk in your sleep! You've wanted him a lot longer than you'll ever admit to…but remember, I was your roomie, so…I know the truth!" she winked. "Nitey-nite, Bet-ty! Don't mess it up with lover-boy, now, okay?"  
Betty laughed, "Okay, Amanda. I'll try not to. Thanks. Say hi to Marc and Tyler for me. Goodnight!"  
After a few laughs with Hilda, she admitted to her sister what was going on with her feelings for Daniel.  
"So…you're afraid to be alone with him, not because you don't trust him, but because you don't trust yourself?" Hilda was grinning, ear-to-ear.  
"Oh…mama" she laughed, "You are in so much trouble! You really don't stand a chance, do you?"  
Betty tried not to smile, "I guess not." She admitted. She tried not to sound whiny, "Don't get me wrong, Hilda. I think it's so sweet of him to do all this for me. It's so amazing, and romantic and it makes me kind of love him for it, but…I'm just scared to death that if I sleep with him, it will change things with us and we'll never be able to go back.  
I don't want to lose him altogether. I mean, he hasn't thought this through. He doesn't have a job or a place, really. I mean, he does, but…I'm just afraid he'll decide this was a mistake and go back to New York, and then I'll lose him all over again! He really hurt me before. I can't go through that like I did when I first moved here."  
"Well, I get that, Betty. But…you know Daniel could also surprise you. Maybe he is the one for you, sweetie. Who else can you tell me you would literally walk through fire for? Now he's crossing oceans for you. Sometimes you've just got to take that leap of faith. Things could go wrong, true. But they could also be the answer to your dreams. Look at me, Betty. I got Bobby after all these years. He's not perfect by a long shot. I know that. But he's the perfect guy for me.  
If Daniel isn't the one for you, who is? And if he is; what the hell are you waiting for? Him to change his mind? He not only told you he loves you; he wrote you a love letter that he had the balls to put in his magazine, and then he left everything he knows to come declare his love to you, what else are you waiting for, girl? Him to ride up on a white horse or something? Because, I gotta tell you, I know about a million women who would kill to be you right now."  
Betty was feeling stupid, "Okay! You've convinced me! What are you on Daniel's payroll or something, Hilda? Do you want me to go jump him right now? It's late."  
"NO, I didn't say that. Maybe just give him a booty…call (just a phone call) and let him no he's not just hanging out there, you know? That you love him too? You do, you know."  
"Yeah. I know. I do. You're right. I guess I should tell him how I feel."  
"I'm just saying, girl. Don't let him get away. You'll regret it, if you do."  
"Thanks, Hilda. I love you. I miss you guys. Tell Justin I'll see him on his break. I'm really looking forward to showing him around."  
"I'll tell him to call you tomorrow, if he's not over at Austin's again."  
Later, Betty sighed, thinking she needed to have some guts and tell…she smiled, "Speak of the devil."  
"Huh?"  
"Hey, sexy."  
"Hi, Betty. Why'd you say that?"  
"What call you sexy? Or the devil? You're both. You're a …sexy devil, what can I say? I…really liked that kiss."  
"Yeah. Me, too. I was worried you would be mad at me or something. I'm glad you…don't sound mad."  
"No. Definitely not. I'm not mad at all. I'm…something else entirely."  
"Yeah? Am I supposed to guess?" he laughed.  
"Well, you get three guesses and the first two don't count, baby." She whispered.  
He chuckled, "Have you been drinking again, Betty? You sound kind of…loose, or in a sexy mood or whatever. Were you dreaming about me in your big bathtub that sucks your toes again?  
Do you need me to come rescue you?" he laid down, putting one arm behind his head, smiling. God, she was cute when she was all comfortable and flirty sounding like this.  
She sounded like she was moaning, "Mmm…I was just sort of re-living that kiss again. You're a reeeally good kisser, Daniel."  
He grinned, "Well, thanks, so are you, Betty. It takes two, you know. Do you want me…to come over there, now?" he hesitated, but figured he'd be kicking himself if he didn't at least ask.  
She hesitated, too. He was surprised to realize that she was actually considering it, "I do want you to, Daniel, but I know what would happen if you did and I think we should at least wait till we have the lucky three dates, don't you?"  
He laughed again, "You're so cute. Yeah, I guess so. Just don't tease me and go changing your mind again, okay? Because if there's any chance you're going to do that, please let me know now and I'll get a cab right now while you're in the mood. I would be kicking myself if I let my window of opportunity shut down like I feel I already have for the last four years."  
She was practically whispering, "I…love you, Daniel."  
He was quiet for a minute. "You do?"  
"Yes. I'm sorry if I…left you hanging before. I just don't want us to mess things up, you know? You've been the man in my life for so long. I don't want to take a chance on losing you."  
"You won't ever lose me, I love you, too, Betty. Are you sure you don't want me to come over there? I'd really like to show you exactly how much I love you right now." She could feel the need in his voice. She loved his voice.  
She took a deep breath, "Just…talk to me, Daniel. You're voice…is very sexy. That's all I need right now, that and to let you know how I feel. We'll be together. I promise."  
She heard him sigh, and she giggled, "Sorry, honey. I'm really not trying to make life so hard for you."  
He smiled, and whispered, "It's fine. You're giving me hope, at least. That's something. You did finally say you love me. I told you you'd catch up."  
"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?"  
"Maybe. I'm sure I love you and I knew you loved me, too. You're just stubborn as hell, Betty. You didn't want to tell me till you were absolutely sure. So…what made you realize I was right? That hot kiss get you all worked up?"  
She laughed, "Actually, Hilda…and Amanda, Becks, and yeah, the kiss, too, I guess."  
"Becks? What's he got to do with it?" he sounded like he had his jealous voice instead of his sexy one now. She wanted to bring it back. She quickly added.  
"Don't worry, he didn't come over or anything. He just is…not you."  
"Okay. Should I ask what that means?"  
She sighed, wishing she'd never even brought him up. "Nothing. He was doing the big brother thing, I guess. He texted me and asked if you were being a good boy."  
"Really? What did you tell him?" he laughed.  
"I lied and told him you were, but thanks for checking, then I told him I wished you were here."  
"Well, if you told him that, why aren't you telling me that?" he sounded like a little boy not getting the toy he wanted.  
She laughed, "You're very cute when you're…begging."  
"You want me to beg, huh?"  
"Maybe tomorrow. I think I'd like that, actually."  
"Okay. Whatever you want, babe."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. Really."  
"Wow. That's really nice to hear. Can I ask you, why do you love me?"  
He shrugged, hugging his pillow. "Because you're amazing, Betty. You are really fearless, and independent, and smart, and sweet, and really beautiful and sexy, even more so because you don't realize you are. You're strong, and confident and you bring out the best in everybody around you….is that enough? Or should I go find my copy of my original draft of the recommendation letter I wrote for you for YETI?  
I think it was like twenty pages or something all saying how great you were. It was kind of embarrassing once I tried to re-read it. That's why it took me so long to get back to you. I didn't want to sound like a complete idiot. I was supposed to be your boss. But I kind of sounded like a schoolboy with a crush or something."  
She grinned, "Okay. That's really sweet. Thank you. Maybe we should try and get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Yeah, because I'm going to sleep so easily now!" he laughed. "You've got me all worked up for nothing…again!"  
"Sorry."  
"No you're not. Tease."  
She laughed, "Look who's talking. You took long enough to kiss me the first time. Did you have a hard time finding my lips or something?"  
"No, I knew exactly where they were. I just wanted to make it last as long as possible."  
"Hmmm…well, if that's you're thing, I guess it bodes well for…other things." She laughed softly.  
"You know it."

Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Mo Annum Cara

Chapter 8: Mo Annum Cara  
Disclaimer: I still own nothing…of Ugly Betty...absolutely nothing!  
I decided to up the rating earlier, just to sort of clue you in that things were perhaps heating up with our two love birds. Especially now that they are going back to Bradford and Fay's 'love nest,' if they make it that far.  
The next morning, Betty's phone rang. She had it in her hand. She had fallen asleep clutching it. Her eyes focused as she saw the time-9:01.  
She smiled as she answered, "Good morning, Daniel. Did you sleep well?" she rolled over, sleepily anticipating the sound of his voice.  
He sounded tense, but almost giddy, like a kid waiting for Christmas, "Oh, yeah. I waited till 9:01. I didn't want to seem too anxious or anything, Betty, but…you know I could be there like really quickly. Are you awake yet? I'm about five minutes away from you and I have coffee and Danish."  
"Wow, this is really strange, Daniel. Are you sure you don't want to consider taking my assistant job? You, bringing me my coffee and breakfast. I could definitely get used to that." She leisurely stretched in her bed, looking out of her window, to see the usual grey skies.  
Somehow, she didn't mind them. She knew it was going to be a really good day. She rolled over, but was taken aback by his response.  
"Well, I'll think about it, but just to warn you, instead of a regular salary, I expect lots of sex on the desk, as well as under the desk, against the desk, and maybe on the floor. I hope you have curtains or blinds or something, and a good lock on the door, and maybe soundproofing, because I'm pretty sure you'll be screaming for more."  
"Daniel!" she was awake now! "Um…good morning to you, too. Wow, that was…uh…" She could tell he was actually walking while he was on the phone. Crap! He really was on his way there. "I need to…I'll see you when you get here. Bye!" She threw the phone on the bed.  
She hurried to the shower. She was in panic mode now, realizing she had obviously gotten Daniel ready for action with her pillow talk last night on the phone.  
She hated her stupid shower here. It had this crazy hose thing that she had to attach to her friend the faucet; the same one that Daniel had said was sucking her toe. She was trying not to get all giddy over him, now. She was on a mission, get showered, and somehow look cute in like zero time!  
He was clearly used to her being the one who was wide awake early in the morning, like she usually was in New York. But she had had such a pleasant night of really nice dreams; she had slept in a bit on what she expected to be a lazy Sunday morning.  
Daniel, it seemed, had other plans. He sounded like a man on a mission himself, on the phone. She was really flustered now. She was having a very difficult time keeping the crazy hose thing from flailing all around, splattering water all over the bathroom wall. It was like a garden hose gone wild. She kept grabbing it and then it would get away from her. Somehow, she managed to get herself clean, and she turned off the water.  
Then she heard a knock. Of course! Daniel was already here! She realized her robe was still in the laundry from the other night. She had had to wring out the water and had just flung it over the shower rack to dry, and now it was in her hamper. She put on a towel. That was the best she could do, she figured. Her hair was still soaking wet.  
She called out, "I'm coming. Hang on."  
She opened the door. Daniel stood there, holding their coffees and a bag from the bakery. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her, "I know I said you could have answered the door naked, Betty, but…next time you should probably make sure it's me, just in case. There are a lot of perverts out there."  
She grinned, "Yeah, and one right here, it seems. Come on in. I was still in bed when you called. Just let me finish getting dressed. I'll be right out." She grabbed the coffee he handed her and sipped it gratefully.  
She started to head back to the bathroom when he put down the coffees, and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him, "Why bother, Betty? Whatever you put on, I'm just going to have to take off, anyway."  
She couldn't help but laugh, "Okay. I see. No preliminaries, huh? I guess this is my fault. I told you today….so here you are. I meant more like maybe tonight, but…"  
He held her around the waist, "Maybe tonight? Betty, seriously I'm sorry not to be all romantic, but how many preliminaries do you need? I've known you for four years. I've watched you grow up before my eyes from a young girl into this gorgeous, sexy woman and you've got me totally under your spell. I can't stop thinking about you day and night. I feel like I can't breathe anymore unless I have you."  
Yeah, that breathing thing, she was having a little trouble with that, herself right now. There went those heart pains again, too. Should she call a paramedic? She tried to breathe, but he was just so…."I think that was actually pretty romantic, Daniel. You know, you really are becoming a good writer. You don't need me to edit your work anymore" she managed when she finally could speak.  
He smiled, "Yeah? Thanks, Betty. But I do need you…I'm always going to need you."  
"For what?" she asked, her eyes big and hopeful.  
"I'll show you." he scooped her up and carried her to her bed. She was trying to tell herself she was not still sleeping. She couldn't recall if she had ever had this particular dream scenario or not, but if not, she was absolutely adding it to her line-up.  
He lightly threw her on the bed and started taking off his coat, tee shirt, and pants. For her part, Betty was very much enjoying the show. She pulled her towel around her, thinking she couldn't have quite imagined a better way to start the day. Daniel crawled onto the bed, locking eyes with her, "You're awfully quiet. You're not having second thoughts, are you?  
I hope you know, all I did half of last night was pace back and forth, worried that I should have gotten a cab the minute we got off the phone, in case you changed your mind…again."  
She shook her head and touched his cheek, as he lay down next to her. "No, I definitely haven't changed my mind, Daniel. I was thinking a lot about what Hilda told me last night. She said we might not either one of us be perfect, but we were perfect for each other. I think she is right.  
You aren't some guy out of a fairy tale. You have your baggage, like stuff with your mom, issues with your dad, all the crazy schemes and drama we went through with Wilhelmina at Mode…but you're real.  
You're this amazing man, who really…loves me. You have done so much for me and my family, you are always trying to protect me and look out for me.  
I would do anything for you, too. You mean so much to me. I really do love you, Daniel. I don't think I quite got it till now, seeing how willing you are to do whatever it takes to show me you love me, coming here, letting me do what I need to for my own dreams, putting me first."  
He didn't seem to be able to speak at first, then he softly said, "I always did like your sister. She's a very smart lady." He took her face in both hands and kissed her forcefully, moving one of his hands to the back of her head and moving on top of her. They tussled for air, gasping and laughing at how desperate they both were, rolling around on the bed, like a couple of hormone-driven teens.  
He raised one eyebrow, as he watched her try to slip off her towel and slide under the sheet. "Oh, no you don't, Missy…don't I even get a peek at those lovely three penny bits?"  
"I'm sorry? What?" she giggled.  
He laughed, "I was on this stupid website that gave all these British slang terms, so I would know what the hell people were saying to me over here."  
She nodded, then smiled, "Okay…well do I get to see your tallywhacker, then?"  
He looked surprised, "Hmmm….sounds interesting, Betty. I'll show you mine if you show me yours."  
"I don't have one, Daniel. I'm not a guy." She started laughing.  
He started tickling her, "Okay, naughty girl, you're in trouble now. Yeah, you get to see mine, alright. Come here, I'll show you just how lonely you've made the poor guy, waiting around for you all this time."  
"All this time? Three dates? And you could have had me in one, if you hadn't been such a gentleman!" she teased.  
"Yeah, that was really stupid of me. What the hell was I thinking? What happened to making me wait for a long time?" he tried not to sound too smug, as he held up the air quotes.  
She shrugged and kissed him, feeling the muscles in his arms and trying not to gasp as he climbed on her. "Uh…um…four years is long enough, don't you think?" she said, breathing hard as he gently but firmly drove home his point again…and again…and again…  
"Way too long." He breathed into her ear.  
They rolled over, and as he looked up at her, her long dark hair, still damp fell over her eyes. She looked so beautiful, he couldn't think straight. He saw that smile, that had lightened up the dark corners of his meaningless life over the past four years, and it made him ache to stay like this, with her all the time.  
As he pulled her down on to him and he could tell how perfectly they fit…in every possible way, he could hardly believe it had taken them this long to see how much they belonged together.  
He smiled, as they both grabbed and clung to each other. They heard the rain; falling harder outside and it seemed to spur them on to continue their exploration of each other. As Daniel planted soft kisses down her shoulder, and across to her breasts, he felt her hands slide down to his butt. He grinned and looked at her, "Okay, Miss Suarez, are you having fun yet, playing with me bum?"  
She made a face at his 'accent', "I like England, but British guys sound so pompous sometimes." He smiled, thinking how she was so the perfect girl for him. She continued, "I only date American men. Nice ones named Daniel, with big hands and sexy voices and blue eyes, and cute bums and…" she giggled as he shook his head and started kissing her.  
"Betty, have I ever told you you talk too much sometimes?" He kissed her, then disappeared under the covers.  
She moaned and cried out. As soon as she could speak, she gave him a look, "Well, if you did THAT before, you definitely could have shut me up, you know."  
He laughed, "I'm not sure, but I think that might have fallen under the sexual harassment laws, Betty. You could have sued me for sure."  
"Funny, I somehow don't feel 'harassed', Daniel. Pleasured, maybe." She grinned and kissed him on his nose, cheek, and chin, then started nibbling on his ear, and his neck. He was clearly turned on by all the attention. He grabbed her shoulders, and was trying to kiss her, but she avoided his mouth.  
Finally, he took her face in his hands again and smiled, "Cute, Betty. But, I think two hours is at least a good start for making it last. Let me kiss you, okay? I want those big, beautiful lips on mine." She let him.  
She looked at him and lazily raised her hand over her head, "How about we get dressed and I'll go warm up that coffee. I seem to have worked up an appetite. I think you're the only treat that could have kept me from those Danish you had. Now, that I've had you, I want them, too."  
He just smiled and slapped her gently on the rear as she got out of bed. "Wow! Nice uh…curves, Betty!"  
She blushed and grabbed her towel, suddenly shy. He rolled over, laughing at her, "You weren't that shy a minute ago."  
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, well now I am, so…look away while I get dressed, please?"  
He shook his head, "I'll never understand how women can be all into sex one minute, then afraid to flaunt what nature blessed them with the next. Just because we're not having sex this minute, doesn't make your body any less beautiful to me, Betty. You're very sexy. Believe me; you're like J-Lo and Beyoncé with a little Pamela Anderson thrown in…only yours are real! You know what I mean, girl, you are definitely very um…well-endowed!  
"Thanks" she blushed as she pulled on her panties and jeans, then turned around while she fished for a bra from her drawer and got a sweater. As she pulled it on, she turned back to see him smiling, and admiring her, lying on the bed, propped up on one elbow.  
"Daniel, are you going to get out of bed and get dressed? I thought you needed my help getting food and going through your place to try and de-Fay it in case you decide to be honest and tell your Mommy where you are really staying."  
He sighed, "Wow, you really know how to deflate a guy's tally whacker, don't you Betty? Talking about my Mom and my Dad's mistress all in one sentence! Fine! But come here, and let me have one more kiss before I have to get dressed and face the world again, please?"  
She looked at him, all wrapped up in her sheets, and he looked so tempting. She shook her head, and sighed, "Daniel, it's after eleven, now…we don't have time to…"  
She walked towards him, and he pulled her onto the bed, taking away all her sense of reason. She found she really didn't care about anything other than being with him again.  
Finally, after they managed to get dressed and warm up their coffees and Danish, they headed off to the market, then Daniel's place.  
They walked in, looking down at each other's hands. "You know, it's kind of weird that your Dad was here…with Fay. Have you found anything yet?"  
He shook his head, "Not really. I haven't looked much, though. I've just been unpacking, on my computer a lot, maybe looking out the window, or watching TV. I think I'm sort of afraid to find anything. It was such a bad time for my Mom; I feel kind of wrong even being here, like I'm sticking the knife in her back or something."  
"Daniel, I really think you're making too much of that. I mean, I get why you don't want to bring your Mom here. It's only got one bedroom, anyway, so…it's not great for guests, but I really think she'll understand that it's more practical for you to stay in a place you already own than paying for a hotel, especially long-term. I could help you paint and re-decorate so it is yours instead of your Dad's, Daniel. Kind of like how you made Mode your own after he passed away."  
He nodded, still holding her hand with his free one, "Okay well let's get these groceries put away." He put down the grocery bag on the counter. "I'm probably still going to be eating out most of the time, anyway. That's not a very big kitchen, even if I knew what to do in the one."  
She smiled, "That's okay. You know what to do in the bedroom. Nobody's perfect."  
He laughed, and kissed her, "Thanks. We don't have to always stick to the bedroom, though, you know. We could…do our own version of an exorcism of Fay's spirit…maybe try out every room, just so I'm not seeing ghosts anywhere. As a matter of fact, maybe you should stay with me so I'm not haunted or anything. You might need to protect me."  
She shook her head, "Oh, really? You're seeing Fay's ghost and you need me to stay and hold your hand…or have a séance or something?" she giggled.  
"No. But, it was worth a try." He smiled. "I just thought…we could have a sleep-over. I don't know if it's haunted, but this place is definitely lonely." He sounded like a little boy.  
Betty was putting food away and looking around in the kitchen. She went to get a glass from the cabinet and pulled down a wine decanter. She looked at it strangely and Daniel came in to see what she had found.  
"What's wrong?" he looked at the decanter. It was beautiful silver with a Renaissance design. There were two matching goblets next to the decanter. "What did you find?"  
She looked at them, turning them around, "Wow, aren't those Swarovski crystals? And what does this engraving mean? Mo Anam Cara? Have you ever heard of it?"  
He shook his head, "No, never. Is it Latin or something, you think?"  
She shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I've never heard it before. I'll look it up and see. I'm sure these are Swarovski crystals. This set must be really valuable. Do you think it belonged to your Dad, Daniel? Or…Fay?"  
"I guess it had to belong to one of them. I'm sure I've heard that phrase before somewhere, but I can't place it. Let's look it up and see what it means. I don't even recognize what language it is. Cara…is that Italian, maybe?"  
Betty did a search and looked at him with a bit of sadness, "It's Irish. It means 'My Soul Mate'"  
"You're kidding? Really? That's terrible! God, I wonder if that's really how he felt…about Fay?"  
"Don't jump to conclusions, Daniel. Maybe it was a gift she got him, so she could have felt that way about him, and maybe he…didn't feel that way about her. Clearly, he wasn't ready to just divorce your mom and marry Fay, or he would have. Your father was a very determined man. I think he had feelings for Fay, but if he didn't still love your mom, too…he would have let her know."  
He smiled, sitting next to her on the couch, running his hands up and down on her back as she started doing a search on the computer. "Leave it to you to always try and put a good spin on things, Betty. That's one reason I love you."  
She tried to stay focused on the task at hand, but as he continued to massage her back and neck, she smiled, "Daniel, stop…I can't concentrate if you keep doing that." He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck, whispering, "Always working…Betty you need to learn to relax once in a while."  
She giggled as he stroked her arm, then leaned over to kiss her. She gave in, but when they parted, she reminded him, "Daniel, I'm not really working; I thought you wanted me to find out about this wine set. This particular one is handcrafted in Ireland.  
This website has the address in Dublin, so if you wanted to…you could probably contact them and see if they have any purchase records that far back. I mean, without an exact date it would be more difficult, but with something this elaborate, you might still be able to find out. Oh, wow, Daniel, it says here they also did wedding rings."  
"Wedding rings? Geez, you think my Dad was going to propose to her or something?"  
She shrugged, "I guess it's…possible. I'm sorry, Daniel. I know this must be hard for you. Did you and your Dad or Mom ever talk about-Fay?"  
She couldn't read his eyes, they looked dark and clouded, his voice was raspy, "My Mom said stuff a few times to me when she had been drinking, before she went to rehab the first time; I guess now that I think of it, that must have really been when she…got pregnant with Tyler.  
She looked so scared and sad. I really thought I was never going to see her again. She told me to watch out for people in my dad's life that weren't at all what they seemed. Even then, I was only about ten I guess, but I knew she was talking about Dad's mistress."  
"Did you know it was Fay he was seeing?"  
He shook his head, "Not really. I mean, I suspected. I remember Alex and I used to go spy on him sometimes and we saw him…with her, kissing her. It was pretty traumatic. I hated him for doing that to my Mom. I hated Fay, but I saw him with lots of other women, too.  
So, then I almost started feeling sorry for her, too. I just really resented my Dad for being such a heartless…jerk, and making my Mom leave. Alex and I actually got closer, for a while at least, because we both hated him. Then, when Alex got back from college, though and started working for Hudson, he really became Dad's golden boy and I was just left out in the cold.  
Mom was in and out of rehab…I didn't have anybody." He was bitter and clearly upset at remembering his father's misdeeds. She felt so helpless to try and heal those wounds.  
She fought back tears, "Daniel. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." She hugged him and she felt him relax in her arms.  
After a few minutes, he hugged her back, then pulled away, "Come to think of it, that's when I started hanging around Becks more. He had a lot of sisters and brothers and he was Alex's friend first, but he sort of took me on as his adopted little brother, even though he's only one year older than me.  
I think he saw what was going on with my family and that Alex and I were fighting for my Dad's attention and he felt sorry for me or something. But he was sort of like my…mentor with girls, too. He made dating look so easy. I used to think he was so cool! He really got my head out of all the crap going on in my family, at least, and we had a lot of laughs."  
Betty didn't know what to say. She knew she was going to have to talk to Becks now and find out what was really behind his seeming flirtatiousness. Hearing this deep connection he had to Daniel, she found it hard to believe he would ever deliberately hurt the kid he had mentored and helped through a family crisis like that. There had to be something going on and she intended on finding out what it was first thing tomorrow.  
For now, all she wanted to do was make Daniel forget all this sad family history and to see him smile again. She suddenly knew what to do.  
She got up and pulled him by his arms off the couch, shutting off the laptop. He looked puzzled, "What's up? Where are we going?"  
She walked backwards, continuing to pull him behind her, "You never gave me a complete tour the other night, Daniel. You didn't show me the bedroom."  
He chuckled, "I didn't? Where are my manners? I'm such a terrible host. Let me show you to the bedroom then, Miss Suarez. I'd be more than happy to give you the deluxe tour."

Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Sexy Seance

Chapter 9: Sexy Séance  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything No Ugly Betty….  
"Betty, are you…sure? I mean, I don't want you to feel pressured, just because you're trying to cheer me up or something," Daniel was surprised that she was actually pulling off his shirt somewhat enthusiastically, as she pushed him forcefully against the door of his bedroom, and kissed him heatedly.  
"I don't feel any pressure, I promise you, Daniel. I am not doing this just to cheer you up, either. I just want to be with you, that's all. Wait, since when are you even worried about that, anyway? Are you sure…you're not…" She stopped suddenly and looked a little uncertain of herself.  
He realized immediately he had upset her. "Betty, what's wrong?" He put his hand on her arm, and looked down at her, bending down to try and see into her face, since she now had her head down, her eyes cast downward and she seemed to be fighting tears. She just shook her head and started backing away.  
He was genuinely concerned now that he had somehow offended her. He thought for a minute, then he knew. He knew how sensitive Betty was about her body and he could only assume he had made her doubt herself. He decided the best course of action for him was a strong offense, letting her know that his hesitation had absolutely nothing to do with any lack of desire for her.  
He leaned down and lifted her chin up to get her to look into his eyes, "I definitely want you, Betty. Please don't doubt that for a second. I just didn't want YOU to have any regrets, that's all." He kissed her ardently, and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
She seemed taken aback as they parted; looking up into his eyes she saw the need in them and her own eyes grew big, "You…really do want me, don't you, Daniel?"  
He squeezed her for a second and nodded, "Well, yeah, of course. Why do you seem so surprised? I'm sorry, but I thought I made my feelings pretty clear this morning, Betty. I mean, I was up at the crack of dawn just waiting to pounce on you the minute you gave me the green light.  
Not to mention, like I said, I argued with myself till three in the morning trying to decide if I should have pounded on your door after we got off the phone last night. And the four hours of sleep I actually did get were…not very sound to say the least." He tried not to sound too whiny.  
She smiled, stroking his jaw lightly, "I'm sorry. You poor, sex-deprived baby. I heard from a little birdie it's been a really long time, too! You must have been a very sad boy all this time, huh?"  
"Funny, Betty. Make fun of the reformed sex pervert you've turned into a begging idiot; is that your idea of kicks, now? I can't believe you actually got me so…crazy the other night I had to basically drink myself into oblivion so I'd keep my hands off you. Then only to come find out, you probably wouldn't have been that pissed if I had 'taken advantage' of your state, anyway."  
Her eyes lit up with comprehension, "That's why you got so drunk? To…knock yourself out or something? I'm really sorry if I was…too flirty, Daniel. I honestly don't remember ever getting so drunk that I came onto a guy before."  
"Really? I thought girls got drunk all the time so they'd, you know, have an excuse, without being self-conscious or something."  
"Well, I'm sure a lot of girls actually do that."  
"But not Betty Suarez, huh? So, you're usually well aware of when you're coming onto a guy? Except flashing Gio, huh? Tell me, what does that normally look like-fully sober? I'm just curious."  
"What? You want me to come onto you? Actually, I thought that's what I started out doing before you began questioning my motives and making me doubt myself, Daniel. So, to be honest, I'm feeling a little less…in the mood, now. And by the way, I'm sorry about the Gio thing. It really seems to bother you, huh? That's the second time you brought it up!"  
He shrugged, "Well…yeah! Okay, fair enough, do you want me to come onto you, then? Cause I'm pretty much always game. You should probably know I have actually wanted you for quite a while. I don't just want you because you're so damn sexy now, either, Betty. I mean, it definitely doesn't hurt." He grinned, then took her face in his hands, and stared into her eyes.  
"But it's not just that. You know I've been with a lot of women that didn't mean anything to me. But with you, with us, it's the exact opposite. You've become so much a part of my life. I've never known a woman before like I know you.  
You know what a spoiled child I can be, and what a jerk I sometimes am. You know all that not so attractive stuff about me and yet, you still care about me, anyway. It has nothing to do with how I look, or my money, or my job, or any of that outside stuff. You just love me-Daniel for who I really am inside.  
That's what makes it so special. When we…were together, I felt like I was home, or something. Like I've been wasting my time all these years, looking for someone that made me feel like I was worth being with. You took away all that bad stuff I went through with my family. I finally found someone who loves me for myself."  
Betty didn't say anything, but he could tell from her expression she was moved by what he had told her. She pulled him down for a very sweet, tender kiss that quickly became passionate. She had a determined grin he'd never seen on her face before as she took his shirt off the rest of the way, quickly undid his jeans, as well as her own, practically dove on top of him on the chaise that was next to his bed, then pulled off her sweater and threw it on the floor.  
He was a little surprised at her maneuver, but not about to question her again, for fear of rocking the boat. He put one hand on her back and the other around her waist. Reaching around her curvy backside, he slid down her panties and twirled them overhead, as he threw them on the ground, and grinned before he turned his attention to unfastening her bra.  
She raised one eyebrow and gave him a look, "Are we in the Wild West Show or something?"  
He shrugged, and unhooked her bra with one hand, giving her a satisfied look, "Not bad, one hand behind my back! Yippee kayay…"  
She shook her head, and rolled her eyes as if she were dealing with a somewhat unruly child, "You are five, Daniel. I swear, if you say 'ride em cowboy?…"  
He laughed, "No, I think that might be better for you to say, Betty. Besides, I was just making sure you knew I was American, since you said you don't like British guys, remember? Only us yanks, named Daniel, with big hands…hands, huh? Oh, and blue eyes, and cute 'bums', was it? Hey, what do you know-that all sounds like me!"  
She laughed and kissed him, putting her hands on his 'bum' and pulling him to her as the kiss turned more sensual.  
Becks looked down at his phone, surprised to be getting a call from a number he didn't recognize, "Beckett Scott here, who's this?"  
"An old pal."  
"Hmmm…you're going to have to narrow it down, a bit more. I have lots of pals. Friend or foe?"  
"That's complicated."  
"I see. Well, you sound like a very charming young lady. Are you….blonde or brunette…or redhead? And where have we met and when?"  
"Blonde, New York, twenty-five years ago, when neither of us was a charming lady."  
"Alex?"  
"Close."  
"Sorry, Alex-is Meade?"  
"Si, Signore."  
"Hey, how are YOU, doing, baby? It's been a long time. What's up?"  
"I'm fine. Listen, I know Amanda put you onto Daniel to try and get him back on the horse or whatever, right?"  
"Something like that, yeah. Let me guess, you want me to back off because he's supposedly all in love with his former fugly secretary, right?"  
"You know, we USED to be friends, Becks."  
"That was a very long time and a lotta different parts ago, PAL! You and I stopped being buds when you became daddy's golden boy and left your brother out to dry. Not to mention, the whole Marilyn fiasco!"  
"Okay, okay. So, let's make this clear, I'm appealing to your friendship of my brother, not me, then. I just want what's best for Danny."  
"Daniel." he corrected her, making a face at the phone.  
"Daniel, whatever. Yes, he does love Betty. I think Amanda knew that, but she didn't really think Daniel knew it yet. So, when she made that little request for you to get my brother laid, she didn't realize he planned to go crossing oceans and quitting his job and all for Betty.  
She meant well, but now that Danny…sorry Daniel's finally grown a pair, don't you think as his friend you should just leave well enough alone? I mean, knowing Daniel, I'm sure he and Betty have hooked up by now. He's been there, what four or five days, so…"  
"Actually, I know for a fact he hadn't hooked up with her as of yesterday. I ran into them in Hyde Park and he looked pretty goo-goo over her but she clearly hadn't given it up yet. I guess her ego is still tender from before she became a hottie or something, but he told me how crazy he is for her.  
She, on the other hand, I haven't quite figured out yet. She seemed a little pissed off at him last week when we had lunch. She said hi to me when she saw me, and I honestly had no idea who the hell she was, she looked so different.  
But…I don't know. Have you known her a long time? Is she really into him, too? Or just out to get ahead?  
I heard a lot of crazy rumors about her back in New York, people claimed she was getting him off or something and that's how she climbed her way to the top so quick.  
Nobody believed Daniel was actually having sex with her when she looked like she did back then, but…I don't know. I had my suspicions something was going on there.  
I mean, I've seen Daniel when he gets really drunk, and he's definitely slept with some uggos. He defended her when I said something, too.  
Plus, I saw him look at her a lot of times, grinning like an idiot and he was still checking out her ass even when she looked like a crazy school girl or something, so…who knows?" He shuddered.  
Claire was just finishing lunch with Alexis, "Your brother was being very secretive about where he has been staying in London. I have to say; I'm a little surprised he talked Betty into letting him move in with her so quickly. He's been there less than a week!"  
Alexis laughed, as she finished her dessert, "Well, it's not like they just met, Mom. Besides, come on, it's Daniel! What did you expect? Yes I realize Betty isn't normally the type to go jumping into bed with men, but…"  
"Yes, your brother does have that effect on women, I suppose, doesn't he? I guess even Betty isn't immune, once he turned on the charm. It's really very sweet, I think."  
"Yeah, Mom. They're freakin' adorable!  
"I don't understand you're tone, dear. I would think you'd be happy for your brother. Especially after his ordeal with Molly and that horrible Community of The Phoenix, another situation that Betty helped him with immensely. He's finally getting his life on track. I think once Betty is back in his life… She'll be able to help him decide what he wants to do career-wise outside of Mode, too, I'm sure."  
"Well, I hate to admit it, but with Betty's help, he finally seemed like he knew what he was doing as an editor. So, when are you going back to New York, Mom? Aren't you afraid with is going to run off with the company."  
"No. I think she's probably still shock or jumping for joy that Daniel chose to step down. Did you read his letter?"  
"Yeah-the 'I love you, Betty, letter', you mean? Wow! That was really something, huh? Daniel Meade-the romantic, who knew?"  
Claire smiled, "I think it's about time he saw what a beautiful woman Betty is."  
"Beautiful? That might be stretching it a bit, don't you think? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Betty. I think she's great. God knows, she helped Daniel get his mind off his…well, you know, but beautiful, Betty Suarez?"  
Claire grinned, looking through pictures on her phone, "Oh, that's right. You haven't seen her recently, have you?"  
"What do you mean?"  
Claire found a recent picture and showed it to her.  
Alexis looked shocked, "Wow! That's Betty? Much better. She's wearing only two colors and she actually has two separate eyebrows. What's the big thing, though…oh, yeah, no braces! Nice! Maybe Mode should feature a before and after of her!"  
Claire smiled, "It's not just the clothing and braces, though. Although, I know that's the first thing you notice looks-wise. But she is so much more self-assured now, as well.  
She's blossomed into a beautiful, confident woman. I almost feel like I got to see her grow up at Mode."  
Alexis nodded, looking slightly envious at her mother's obvious pride in Betty's growth. "Yeah. That's great. Oh, I talked to Becks this morning to try and wave him off Amanda's little mission to get Daniel out there again, but he seemed suspicious of Betty's motives. I guess…he's still not too fond of me, either."  
"He's known Daniel for a long time, dear. I'm sure he's only trying to protect him. He doesn't know Betty. Once he sees how great she is, he'll come around. Maybe I will try to speak to him when I'm staying with Daniel and Betty."  
"You're not staying at the Ritz or the Savoy this time?"  
"No. When I told Daniel I wanted to stay with him so we could spend as much time together as possible before I have to return to New York, he seemed very strange, like he was nervous about something. That's when I finally got him to admit he was staying with Betty. Then, she called and they both insisted that she has two bedrooms and they wanted me to stay there, so." She shrugged, finishing her tonic.  
"Well, that should be interesting. Maybe you should borrow DJ's IPod and earphones, so you can get some sleep, Mom."  
She almost choked, "Alexis!" Then she smiled, "Actually, come to think of it, that might not be a bad idea!"  
Once Daniel had persuaded her to 'sleep-over', Betty got a pair of shorts and a long tee-shirt of his to sleep in. "I'll need to go back home early tomorrow morning to change for work." She said as she finished working on some copy on her laptop.  
"I called a town car to pick you up at eight tomorrow morning and take you home. Is that early enough? Then, he'll wait for you to change and get you to your office well before nine. Thanks for staying over, Betty. I really appreciate it."  
"Well, I wouldn't want you to be afraid here by yourself, Daniel. I'll stay and hold your hand. You know, maybe you shouldn't watch those scary movies, so you won't get so freaked out."  
"I am not freaked out…or scared, Betty. I said it was lonely, that's all. There's a difference."  
She giggled, "Do you still want to do a séance? Maybe we could light candles and burn incense or something, or do a chant?"  
"No, I said we could have sex in every room to chase out evil spirits. I'll do that!" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
She grabbed his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, then smiled shyly, "Well…I guess we could do that, eventually."  
He looked disappointed, "Not tonight?"  
She looked at him with an expression of shock and confusion, "Tonight? You…weren't serious, were you? Daniel, we've already had sex twice this morning and again not thirty minutes ago! I mean, can you…I didn't think guys could, you know…do that. A bunch of times or whatever. Don't you need to…I don't know, rest or something?"  
He laughed, and grabbed her waist from behind, "Well, maybe some guys can't. It depends, Betty. On my, uh…motivation, for one thing, and I find you very motivating. Plus, like you said, I've been saving up, so…I might just be like a wind-up toy that just keeps on going and going…"  
She blushed, and he touched her cheek, "I'm sorry, Betty. I don't mean to just…jump you constantly. I promise, I'll take you out and romance you tomorrow, okay? It's just…it's been a while and when you said yes, I got kind of excited. Well, very excited, I guess."  
She nodded, "I understand, Daniel. I'm just not used to this much…um…attention all at once. It's kind of different. I mean, I like it. It's just still settling in to me that it's you. I guess we could…scare away some ghosts here in the living room at least. Then, we'll see if you need a nap or something afterwards."  
He smirked, but feigned offense, "A nap? Thanks, Betty! Is that a crack about my age or something?"  
She smiled, "Maybe," she teased, as he started holding her down, tickling her.  
"I see, young lady. Let me assure you, I won't slow you down. And I DON'T need a NAP!

Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Best Friends with Benefits

Chapter 10: Best Friends with Benefits  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty!  
I love music and always enjoy TV and movies with great music so much better! (Imagine Forrest Gump w/out the fantastic soundtrack?) Also, think of Hilda's wedding, Marc & Amanda miming to 'Dream Girls', can't imagine Justin without music… (you get the picture).  
So…try picturing the first and last scene of this chapter with Daughtry's song, "Start of Something Good", maybe put it on the computer in the background…  
Daniel woke up Monday, rolling over to find Betty already gone to work. He sighed, thinking how nice it was going to be at some point to actually be able to wake up next to her. (He actually could have this morning, but was in no shape to wake up that early). He felt a bit guilty for keeping her up so late on a workday, but…he had to prove a point to her, he thought, smiling to himself, thinking SHE might need a nap!  
He got up and took a shower, dressed and had toast and coffee, then started looking online to figure out what he was going to do with himself, now that he had decided to start over in a foreign country with the woman he loved.  
He was having a hard time getting much accomplished, though. How the hell was a thirty-seven year old man supposed to go through this major emancipation from his father's shadow and start a completely new career path when he felt like an eighteen year old boy with his first crush?  
This was stupid. He had to concentrate on finding a job! One that he was both qualified for and that would be enough of a break from Mode that he would feel like he had accomplished something he could truly be proud of…? Something he could call his own.  
Daniel looked over several websites, trying to sort through editorial, advertising, and writing jobs. Was that really what he wanted? Or should he get into a completely different field? Should he go back to school? Get his MBA perhaps?  
This made his thoughts turn to Molly. He had definitely loved her, it's true. But as he looked at the goblets once again he thought of 'soul mates' and knew…that was Betty! No one else fit that description for Daniel and no one else ever would. So, maybe he could understand how his father had also loved two women in his life. Unfortunately for everyone involved, though, Fay had still been very much alive at the time.  
His heart ached for his mother if she ever saw these (or God forbid, if there were wedding rings?) that declared Fay to be his father's soul mate. That would be too cruel. He resolved to find out what he could about them. He picked up his phone and called the number in Dublin Betty had found for him. He smiled, thinking she was still a pretty good assistant.  
He briefly considered her suggestion that he become her assistant. The job would definitely have its perks, he thought, such as being around her all the time.  
However, other than acting on the sex fantasies, he had to admit, the idea somewhat frightened him. He knew he could never come close to being as efficient as she had been. Just as he had declared in his introduction to her Blobby award, she intimidated the hell out of him.  
After he had gotten the information he needed concerning the wine set, he set aside the matter of his career future for more immediate concerns…how to show Betty he didn't intend to just keep her locked up with him having sex all the time.  
Although that idea didn't totally suck, he mused, picturing how she had surprised him with how aggressive (and hot!) she could be. Still, he looked forward to taking her out somewhere and showing her he could also be romantic.  
He wanted to ask Justin for advice again, (the tourist thing had definitely been a hit with Betty, so…maybe the kid knew a thing or two about his aunt's preferences, he thought). However, he didn't think waking him up at four in the morning would do, so he was on his own. He started scouring the internet for date ideas, something original that Betty would enjoy.  
Becks sat at the crowded pub, watching as several people from Dunne Publishing came in for the early lunch shift. His ears perked up when he heard one of the patrons mention Betty's name, and he leaned closer to listen.  
"What do you think of our new editor-the American bird, Betty, the Editor?" he heard one guy say.  
"She's alright, I suppose. I thought she did well enough with the meeting today, other than tripping on your briefcase, mate!" they laughed.  
"Yeah, that was brilliant! I almost felt sorry for her. Still, once she got started with her little speech, she seemed bright and eager enough."  
"Well, I know she's not bad to look at. I'd sure rather picture her naked spread out across the desk than old Lindsay, that's for sure!" both men chuckled.  
Becks found himself tempted to go teach these guys some manners.  
He held his peace and listened, however, as another worker, this time a woman, came around to the two Dunne employees. She eyed the two men narrowly, and leaned forward conspiratorially, so that Becks had trouble making out what she was saying.  
"Yeah, but she isn't quite the innocent goody, goody she puts on, though. I heard from Melanie in features when she and some of her friends were down in Soho a few weeks ago that they saw our new fearless Yank leader tying one on and snogging some yummy accountant from Mode UK.  
He was some gorgeous blue-eyed guy that she evidently couldn't keep her hands off all night. She was right pissed, because Melanie said she was singing karaoke, too, very badly!" They all laughed."  
Becks threw some cash down and made his way to pay his old friend's new lady a visit. At least she was consist ant with her preference for blue eyes, he thought.  
Well, as she pointed out, he had blue eyes, too. Time to put out a little bait and see if Betty, the little bombshell was running away from his pal Daniel to really "find herself" as she claimed, or if in fact, as he couldn't help suspecting, she had left as a ploy to entice Daniel to follow her.  
He knew his buddy often wanted what he couldn't have…like most men. Maybe Betty knew that and was playing games with Daniel's affections. If so, it seemed to be working like a charm, based on his little conversation with Daniel in the park.  
He found Betty's office and saw her hard at work. He flashed his mega white smile at Betty's assistant. "Hey, I'm Becks Scott, an old friend of Betty's from the states. Mind if I just pop in and say hello? Or is she too busy?"  
The girl was clearly charmed by the attractive American. She giggled and nodded, too overwhelmed to speak or object.  
Becks slipped in quietly, closing the door behind him. He looked as Betty's eyes met his. She was startled, but smiled shyly at first, then her look changed to one of suspicion.  
"Hello, Becks. I guess I should have suspected you'd show up."  
He crossed to her, sitting on her desk, right next to her chair. He leaned towards her, with one hand propped on the desk.  
"I just came to apologize for that text the other night, Betty. I had a few too many. I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me. I hope Daniel didn't see that. I didn't get you in trouble or anything, did I?" He grinned at her, winking.  
She couldn't quite decide if he was genuine or not. She looked at his body language and decided…not.  
She played along at first, "No. I understand. It's fine. We were…busy this weekend, so…don't worry."  
"Busy, huh? I see. Hey, I told you the guy would charm the pants off you. Don't say I didn't warn you, Betty! Well, as long as you two are both happy, who am I to interfere with true love?" he grinned, flashing the dimples.  
Betty decided that she not only didn't want to play his games, but wanted to see what was really going on with him. After all, she knew what a help he had been to Daniel in the past, so he must have his best interest at heart.  
She stood up and looked him in the eyes, "Look, Becks, I know what a great friend you are to Daniel, so I'm going to assume your little flirtations have just been to see if I really love Daniel or am some kind of gold-digger. So, let me assure you I'm totally in love with him.  
I have known him long enough to know he's not perfect, but neither am I. I don't have any designs on his money. I want to work, and besides, if I was that kind of person, I would have married my previous boyfriend, Matt Hartley. So, rest easy, Daniel and I really care about each other, okay?"  
"Do you only date wealthy guys, then?" he seemed to still be flirting. Maybe he really wasn't getting the message here, she thought. Or was he still fishing? She couldn't decide, but she was starting to get annoyed.  
"Hey, I've also dated accountants and…you know, it's really none of your business, Becks. Just knock it off with the flirting. I'm not interested in you and I doubt you're really interested in me, either. I know you're just trying to protect Daniel. That's fine, but you don't need to protect him from me, okay? I love him. I'd never hurt him."  
Becks actually looked relieved for a second and gave her a genuine smile. She relaxed, too, thinking all was well. Then, he had a thought and blurted out, "Well, tell me why you had your tongue down the throat of some accounting guy from Mode UK in a pub a few weeks ago, then, Betty? Does Daniel know about that?"  
"What? What are you talking about? I never kissed any guy in a…pub…" Her night of total debauchery with Christine came flashing back to her suddenly. Oh my God! She HAD kissed some guy that night. The night she was so depressed and lonely that Christine had taken her out to get sloshed, to forget about Daniel and how he had cut her out of his life, letting her leave without so much as a goodbye…  
She stood up, trying to think of a way to convince Becks that she had just gone out to try and forget Daniel, thinking she would never see him again, and had in her drunken haze mistaken the 'accounting guy' as some sort of amalgam of Daniel and Henry, and had thought she was dreaming…more like a nightmare!  
"He…I…Becks, I was so upset about leaving things so bad with Daniel when I first moved here. I had a hard time telling him I was taking this job and he and I didn't handle things well, like I told you last week. When I thought he hated me, I was heartbroken, thinking I'd never see him again.  
I went out with my friend Christine and got really drunk…really drunk. I honestly didn't even remember what I did that night. I know you're going to think I'm making this up, but I thought I was just dreaming I was kissing Daniel."  
Becks couldn't help liking this girl, and finding himself believing her. She seemed so completely sincere. He hoped she wasn't playing him, and Daniel. Usually he was very good at spotting BS. It was something about his photographer's eye. He saw people and what they put out in the way of body language as well as something behind their eyes.  
Betty really seemed like the genuine article. A slightly shy, but stubborn and determined girl who although career driven, did not seem money hungry, a hard-worker. He decided to at least give her the benefit of the doubt. "Well, I guess I don't have to tell Daniel anything. It's really none of my business." He offered.  
"Oh, don't worry. I'll tell him."  
"Tell me what?" Daniel had been smiling at the sight of Betty, until he saw how close Becks was to her.  
He crossed on the other side of her desk and gave her a long kiss, and kept his arm around her protectively. He ignored Becks at first, talking to Betty, "Hey, babe. I thought I'd see if you had time for lunch before I started handing out my resume on street corners. Where's your assistant, what's-her-name? Maybe I should come here and standguard out there. Keep out the riff-raff." He glared at Becks. "What brings YOU here, Becks?"  
Becks nodded and smiled, "Oh, not much, Daniel. I was just gossiping with Betty about you two…and her friend from Scotland, you know, catching up on New York, blah, blah…I hear things have …come together for you two, congrats!"  
"Yeah. You gotta problem with that or something?"  
"No! Of course not. I think it's great!"  
Betty wasn't going to see the two old friends fight over her. It wasn't even her…she blurted out, "Look, you two, cut this out. I'm not going to be…Yoko here. Daniel, Becks is NOT interested in me, okay, so…dial down the jealous boyfriend looks!"  
She hated secrets and lies. That was something about Mode that she did not miss. "First of all, Becks just came to apologize for texting me a little inappropriately the other night, that's all." She didn't want him holding that over her, either, she thought. Better to get everything out of the way and put her cards on the table. She took a deep breath,  
"Plus…he heard some gossip about me that was actually…true. He heard that I got very drunk the first weekend I was here and kissed some guy in a pub in Soho. Becks was just being a good buddy to you and wanted to make sure I wasn't trying to, I don't know…marry you for your money, I guess, was that it, Becks?" She turned and looked at Becks who was now a little shame-faced.  
He had not counted on this girl being so totally honest! It caught him completely off guard. He was amazed. No wonder Daniel was so taken with this girl, he thought. She was pretty special, he had to admit. She didn't play games at all, it seemed!  
Daniel, for his part was also taken aback, but he laughed and kissed her cheek, "Wow! You've really got to lay off the sauce, Betty!  
Flashing Gio, drunk-dialing Henry, coming onto me, now kissing some random British guy… I thought you didn't even like British guys!" he teased.  
He didn't seem that upset. She hugged him and pulled him down for a kiss.  
"Well, to be honest, Daniel, I was mad at you a little, but mostly sad. You hadn't called me or anything and I thought I was never going to see you again. I don't even remember that night. I thought I was dreaming about kissing you."  
"Likely story!" he teased her and grabbed her hand. Becks actually found himself coming in to back Betty up, "Well, She could have thought he was you, Daniel. Didn't the guy have blue eyes or something, Betty?"  
"Yeah, so do you, but don't think that's getting you access, buddy!" What's this about an 'inappropriate text, btw? What the hell did you say? I thought you just asked her if I was being good, or sorry, a good boy?"  
Becks looked shocked, "She told you that?"  
"Betty tells me everything, Becks. We're best friends." He saw the look Becks was giving Betty, almost like jealousy. He smirked, "Sorry, buddy, but her boobs are a lot better than yours!"  
Betty blushed, "Daniel!"  
Later that night, Daniel knocked on her door. Betty answered, wearing a beautiful deep blue silk dress that hung perfectly to suit her curves. "Hey!" he smiled, "You just keep getting more gorgeous, Betty." he handed her white and red roses. She took them and blushed as he leaned in for a small kiss.  
"Thanks. I still have the daisies. Daniel, you're spoiling me."  
"Not yet. But, that's the general idea." He grinned and followed her inside.  
"So, where are we going tonight?" she asked, putting the roses in water.  
"Hmmm…well, I just thought we'd do some more tourist-y stuff. I know you've already flashed the guards, kissed pub guys….all the highlights, but I just thought we could go up in the London eye maybe, walk around the Thames, and I got us a reservation at The Battery. It's supposed to have great views of the city, and the Editor at Mode UK knew the chef there,"  
She thought of how different dating Daniel was going to be than any other men she had been with in the past. Matt had taken her to some fairly 'fancy' places, and even Henry had tried to be impressive at times. But Daniel was…  
"Daniel. I want you to know, you don't have to spend a lot of money on me to…win me or impress me or anything, alright?"  
"So, you want me to cancel our reservations and go have fish and chips in a pub somewhere? That's fine with me, Betty. But, you might be overdressed. Although, staying in with no clothes on is fine with me, too. I just didn't want you to think I didn't want to take you out and show you off to everybody in London."  
She giggled, and looked up at him, really looking at him. God, she thought, this is like, really happening….She still caught herself sometimes wondering how she got here, in London, now dating Daniel…it was surreal, like something she had dreamed, many times, actually.  
She tried to maintain some semblance of being calm. It wasn't like she didn't know the man. But…lately, when he got close to her she started feeling like she was having palpitations or something. It was crazy, she thought. Especially since she had certainly been close to the guy plenty of times before and never felt like this. But now…something in his eyes was making her knees go weak. Literally. She actually had to grab onto his arm to keep herself from falling on the floor.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with concern. "You should have eaten more at lunch. You hardly touched your food."  
She loved it when he acted all worried about her. It was very endearing. Actually, that was something that he had always been sweet about, even when they were just friends. "I couldn't eat. I was too worried you were going to be mad at me…for kissing that guy." She admitted.  
He laughed, "No. Although, I seriously think you should only drink when I'm around. So you have someone to hit on."  
She laughed along with him. "Sounds good to me, Daniel. And you gave me my warning, so you have the right to take advantage of me if I hit on you."  
"Great! Frankly, I'd rather you kissed some stranger. I'm just glad it wasn't Becks. You never did tell me what he texted you that he had to apologize for, Betty. Was it…dirty or something?" he looked a little apprehensive.  
"No! He just wanted to come over here." She watched to see how he was reacting, but couldn't get a read on him.  
"I see."  
Again, she definitely did not want to be the cause of any unnecessary problems. "I don't think he would have really tried anything even if I had let him, Daniel.  
He was just playing chicken with me to see how far I'd let him go so he could go back to you and tell you what kind of slut I was and how I was bad news or whatever."  
"Yeah, well, no matter what his motives were, I don't like him…sniffing around you. He's not really trustworthy around girls."  
"Like you?" she couldn't resist.  
"Hey!" He laughed, in spite of himself.  
She changed the subject, "You know Amanda is the one who called him originally to…get you laid after I left."  
He looked surprised, "Really? You're kidding! That's funny, I guess, now, considering how things ended up working out…with us, I mean."  
"Yeah, I guess. He doesn't need to worry about…that." She blushed and looked down at their hands.  
The view from The Battery was extremely impressive. It was set at the top of an amazing lighthouse-style building. Its views were panoramic. The interiors were almost as impressive.  
The fourth floor restaurant was designed by Jonathan Mangham, 2009 Theme Award-winner and one of London's leading interior designers.  
Although the food was delicious, Betty found it hard to really appreciate, because the company was even better. Daniel was really pouring on the charm, it seemed. He was himself, but…much more intense.  
No wonder he had so many girls going crazy for him, she thought.  
Finally, she blurted out, "Daniel, do you really think we're…soul mates?"  
He was looking over the menu when he smiled, checking out the selection.  
He said simply, "Yes. I do, Betty."  
She seemed somewhat surprised, "Really? I mean, Daniel, you're…you, you're like this amazing, hot, sexy rich guy who has girls trying to get you to…sleep with them and me…I'm this clumsy, goofy girl, eleven years younger, with no sense of style…well, maybe a little now, but…I'm just SO different. I'm fine with who I am, I'm not putting myself down, but we're just …worlds apart, I don't see how we could be…that…you know?"  
He grabbed her hands and looked at her, "None of that stuff matters, Betty. You know that. That's just outside stuff, and it can all change in a minute. All that matters is how we feel about each other. Do you love me?"  
His question took her by surprise, but she nodded, and said quietly, "Yes."  
"And I love you. So, let's not worry about who's rich or who's clumsy, or any of that. I think I proved last night the older thing isn't slowing me down too much, right?" he winked.  
She smiled shyly, "Right. I just…" he put his finger up to her lips and said, "Just wait, Betty. Give us a chance to get to know each other better…as more than friends, okay?" he leaned forward and waited for her to respond. He got inches from her face and whispered, "Okay?"  
She nodded, and he gave her a quick but somewhat heated kiss, leaving her breathless. She gulped. "Okay."  
He handed her his menu. "They've got French fries, Betty. Regular ones and ones with cheese. Remember, I'm unemployed, so try not to get anything too outrageous… no escargot or anything."  
She grinned and nodded her head. She did love him.  
As they looked down from the London Eye, he leaned over and kissed her. "Nice view up here. But you're still the prettiest thing to look at in all of London." He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away slightly.  
"Seriously? Daniel, you're slipping if that's your best line."  
"What?" his voice got all high and squeaky. She laughed at his face. He was just too easy, sometimes, she thought.  
She shook her head and pulled him down closer, "Just kidding, Daniel. You're sweet. Thanks, babe." She kissed him, putting her hands to the sides of his face.  
As they walked along the Thames, hand in hand, he asked, "Would you be able to get away this weekend to come to Ireland with me, Betty? I might have a lead on that decanter set. I spoke to the owner in Dublin today. I may need to bring an interpreter, though, cause I seriously couldn't understand half of what the lady was saying on the phone."  
She looked at him in shock, "You…want me to come to Ireland with you?"  
"Yeah. Why not?" She loved how he seemed to make these huge decisions with no fear. She wished she could do that sometimes. He was much more fearless than she was. But, she found herself nodding.  
"Okay, Daniel. That sounds like fun. A mystery in Ireland."  
"Can you keep it a secret from Mom, though? She'll be here from tomorrow until Friday morning and I don't want to have to explain why we're going there."  
She shrugged, as they walked, holding hands, "You could always tell her we were looking for a place to get married or something."  
"What?" his voice was in the higher octave again. She loved teasing him. "Just kidding, Daniel."

Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Chapter 11: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?  
Disclaimer: The usual-don't own anything  
"Betty, why can't I stay here tonight? I'm just going to be coming right back here with my mom tomorrow anyway." He knew he sounded whiny, but Daniel wanted to spend another night alone with her before they had his mother as a chaperone all week. After waiting so long since he knew he loved her, this was just really torture. She couldn't be seriously denying him sex already, could she?  
"Daniel, I'm kind of…tired! Aren't you? I mean, we were up really late last night and I have a lot of work…" she cut herself off, not wanting to 'rub it in' that at the moment, he wasn't working. It wasn't like he couldn't be. He had plenty of connections, but of course, they were all based on his name.  
Not to mention, as he had pointed out, his feelings for her were causing him to be distracted from making the kind of decisions he was going to need to make. She felt guilty enough for spurring him into leaving his life in New York behind to come after her. She struggled with the right thing to say.  
As usual, they seemed to be communicating telepathically. He smiled at her and nodded, "Okay, Betty. Whatever you say. As much as my…heart wants to stay here tonight, I guess we both need a little time to…uh…rest. It's just that I know things will probably be a little cramped with mom here and we won't have any privacy."  
"Your heart, huh?" she was really starting to love teasing him.  
He grinned, that little boy grin that she used to hate to see, because it meant he had 'fallen' for yet another stupid bimbo…oops! Did she really always feel that way?  
"Okay, maybe not just my heart. I'll go. Um…do you think I can have your key, though, so I can come over before I pick up mom, then bring her here tomorrow? You'll probably still be at work when her flight gets in."  
Betty fished for the extra key and remembered she had given it to her neighbor. "Hang on! Just have a seat and I'll go get it."  
She ran across the hallway and knocked on Marissa's door. After a few minutes, her pretty neighbor came and stuck her head out. "Hey, Betty! What's up?  
You never did tell me what was going on the other night. Is everything okay? We haven't talked for a while now. I tried to ring you yesterday but you were out. Are you working non-stop again? You really should…"  
Betty interrupted her chatty friend, "Marissa, I'm sorry, I do want to catch up, but right now I have Daniel waiting to get my key. Can I get it back from you, please? His mom is going to be staying with me for a few days…and so is he." She waited to get the usual third degree from her sweet, but very nosey neighbor.  
Marissa simply went and retrieved the spare key and handed it to Betty with a slight smile. As she held it firmly for a second, as if she weren't going to hand it over, she said, "The next time I take this back from you, I want details, girl. Lots of details!" She shook her head as Betty gave her a somewhat guilty grin.  
"Okay, I promise. Thanks!"  
Daniel had managed to tear himself away and was back at his place, packing a suitcase. Then, he got an extra one for taking some additional personal items. It was going to be very strange pretending that he had already been staying with Betty in front of his mom.  
As soon as he had things packed up, he went online and started making arrangements for Dublin this weekend. He wondered what he was going to find out about his father and Fay. He decided that as soon as he was back here, he would start looking around for any more evidence or possible keys to his father's romance with the woman his own mother had ended up killing.  
It was strange to him that after all that happened, he and his mother were now so much closer and felt more like a family than he ever remembered feeling his whole life practically. Of course, again, he knew he had Betty to thank for that.  
He decided he needed to talk about what was going on to someone other than Betty. She needed sleep, he thought, grinning to himself…yeah, who needed the NAP after all, huh?  
"Alexis? It's Daniel. How's it going? Did you and mom have a good visit?"  
"Yeah. Pretty good. DJ's really going to miss his grandma not being here to buy him everything under the sun. Did I get you all her flight info?"  
"Yeah, I got it. That's not why I called. I just needed to talk."  
"Okay. Go ahead. Talk." It was so strange to Daniel that when he couldn't see his sister, and if he didn't really listen to the sound of her voice, he could almost pretend he was talking to Alex again. He was, of course, but…well, it was confusing.  
"Is this about Betty? Or Mom? Or Becks?"  
"Becks? What about him? Did you know he was here?" He got a sinking feeling. Didn't Betty tell him Amanda had called Becks to 'get him laid' as she had put it? What did Alexis have to do with it?  
His sister's somewhat scheming ways reminded him too much of his father…and Wilhelmina sometimes. He knew being in Paris, away from the pressures of New York, and Mode, and becoming a mother had softened her, or at least he hoped it had.  
"I knew Amanda had told him you were moping around New York after Betty went there and she got it in her head to have him take you out and get you some action. She called me to get his number. I'm sorry, Daniel.  
I had no idea how you felt about Betty, until I read your letter, or I would have never given her his number. I tried to talk to him and tell him to leave you alone, but I'm not sure he trusts Betty. He doesn't really know her."  
"Yeah, it's okay. Betty and I talked to him today and I think he's starting to warm up to her. I just don't want him warming up to her too much. You know how he is with women. He ends up getting them to feel sorry for him or whatever that thing is he does to get them to want to change him or something.  
I just don't want him around her. I know he thinks he's trying to help, but Betty's not like that and I don't trust him around any woman. He doesn't mean to, but…"  
"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know how he is. He…still hates me. But, you, he still loves, so… Seriously, I don't really think you have to worry about Betty, though. They're not each other's type."  
"You know, that's the kind of crap I'd expect from him, but you know her. Besides, she's changed. Even a player like Becks is…sniffing around her now. I almost wish she had her braces and glasses back. I'd still love her, but I wouldn't have to worry about jerks like him buzzing around her suddenly.  
It's not fair. I'm in love with her, I saw her first. I got to know her, inside and out. But now…that she looks different, I've got all these guys trying to take her away from me." Alexis was somewhat amused at how pathetic her former 'player' brother sounded about Betty.  
"Wait, she doesn't wear glasses now, either? I knew about the braces. Mom showed me a recent picture."  
"She broke them and started wearing contacts. She looks…really gorgeous now. Even Marc and Amanda and Wilhelmina wouldn't be able to make fun of her anymore."  
Alexis laughed, "Okay, so tell me why that makes you sound so…sad! You tell me your girlfriend that you're so in love with looks gorgeous...I guess I understand you not wanting to share her, although you've never been afraid of a little competition before. But you sound like you lost your best friend….oh…you miss her? I mean, the old her?"  
"It's twisted, I know. But, yeah! I do, sort of. I love her…and I know it's still her, but I used to tell 'old Betty', my friend stuff about girls and now…well, it's just confusing, because she's the girl I want to talk about. But who do I tell?"  
"Your sister who used to be your brother, I guess! I seem to be the perfect person to talk to, huh?" Alexis couldn't help but be find her brother's predicament somewhat hilarious.  
Daniel seemed annoyed that she was finding his misery funny. He changed the subject abruptly; "Actually, I need to tell you something about Mom…and Dad."  
"Dad? You realize he's dead, right?"  
"Of course, stupid. Hopefully, he won't show up on a stage next year in an evening gown or something!"  
"Hey!" That was a low blow, but she almost didn't blame him. She knew all too well how much pain she had caused her family pretending to be dead.  
"Never mind. Look, the reason I called is I'm actually staying in one of Dad's old properties here-a loft he had among his holdings. I saw it listed in his assets, so when I decided to come here, I remembered it and figured it would be a lot less hassle than staying at a hotel."  
"So?"  
"I think he had this place to…meet her."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, really. So, anyway, I didn't want to say anything to Mom. That's why when she started getting curious about where I was staying, I panicked and told her I was at Betty's."  
She laughed, "I KNEW IT! I figured not even you could get into Betty's pants that fast!"  
There was an awkward silence.  
"Right? So, what, Betty and you are just going to pretend to be together for Mom's benefit? I guess I'm not surprised Betty is going along with that. But, I just knew she wasn't the type to go jumping into bed so soon, even with you, mister player. Isn't that going to be awkward as ass, though? Where are you going to sleep? On the floor or something?"  
Again, Daniel said nothing.  
"Um…you-who, Danny?"  
"Well…actually…."  
"What! You HAVE slept with her already? Betty? Okay…wow! I guess she has changed, more than her looks, huh? What kind of moves did you…never mind, not my business, bro."  
"Come on, it's not like I just met her. We worked together for a long time and we just get each other. We know each other."  
"Hey, I'm on your side, Daniel. I think it's great that you have that kind of relationship with Betty. The fact that you have been friends for so long and now you're moving past that…it's really awesome. I could see how different she made you the first time I saw you around her. She was stressed and you were actually worried about her. It was really sweet. She brings out the best in you, clearly.  
I know she encouraged you to step up with DJ at first, too. You were a wonderful dad with him. He still misses you. I'm sorry you won't get to see him for a few weeks. He's really excited you're going to be living so close now. I'd let you talk to him but he's at his friend's house.  
And listen; about the loft, and the whole Fay business, I guess you might be right not to say anything to Mom. It might just be too much. It's coming up on their anniversary, so it's going to be a little tough for her anyway. She doesn't need any added stress pushing her towards drinking or anything. She's been doing really well."  
The two reminisced about the past for a while, sharing both good and not-so-good memories. Daniel told her about the decanter and goblets and his plan to do some further research that weekend.  
As they got off, Alexis smiled, thinking it was actually going to be nice to see Daniel again soon. She had been disappointed he hadn't come to visit before, but given the Tyler situation, she knew his absence had less to do with her and more with the existence of their new half-brother.  
"Yeah, that was very strange, huh?"  
"To say the least. He seems…okay, though. DJ really liked him. I think he is just happy to feel like he belongs to a family of any kind after his mom died."  
"Yeah, I get that. Everybody needs to feel connected to someone. I know it's not Tyler's fault who his father is, either. Betty keeps telling me I need to cut the guy some slack. I just felt like I was being replaced somehow."  
"Welcome to my world, Prince Harry! It sucks when you're the king, then somebody else comes along that you have to share your stuff with, huh?" She laughed.  
"So that's why you were always such an ass to me? You didn't want to share your stuff?"  
"Well, not just my stuff, but Mom. You were always her favorite. You still are."  
"Please."  
"Everything is always Daniel this and Daniel that."  
"Yeah, but you've got boobs now and a vagina!"  
"Really? Didn't know that, Danny! Yeah, I'm well aware, dude. I'm still paying for them. What's your point?"  
"Well, nothing. Just that now you and Mom…are both women, so…I can't exactly compete with that."  
"Didn't know you felt that way, bro. Come on over to our side, if you want. It's expensive, though. And it doesn't solve all your problems. Can't pee standing up anymore."  
"Funny. You're an ass."  
"Whatever, so are you. Listen, sorry about…you sort of losing your best friend. I mean, you haven't really lost her. You sort of have the best of both, now if you think about it. You've got Becks and Betty, and you can sleep with her now. You're welcome to talk to me about Betty, though. I don't know her like you do, of course. But, I like her a lot. She's a very sweet girl. Even if she is hot, now.  
She and I should talk sometime, compare notes. I can give her some tips on how to deal with guys hitting on her. She's probably having as much trouble dealing with it as I did. At least she has always been a girl. Hell, I was ready to slug guys at first."  
Daniel laughed at the thought. "Yeah, I can picture that. Thanks, Alexis."  
Claire's flight arrived promptly at eleven the next morning. Daniel had already taken some of his things over to Betty's and distributed them around her flat as if he had been living there.  
He was glad he had only been in London for a short time. It explained the reason he would still be in the process of unpacking. He had left several boxes in his loft in New York, as well. As far as he knew, Betty may have refused to speak to him and sent him right back on the next flight to New York.  
He also stopped at the 'shops' to get a few things he knew his mom and Betty liked. While he was there, he ran into Marissa, Betty's neighbor. Talk about bad luck! She smiled at him, and immediately began questioning him about his relationship with Betty.  
"So….I see you and my neighbor seem to be hitting it off quite well, if you're moving in with your mum, then, eh? I heard from Betty's other neighbor you two were making quite the racket Sunday morning!"  
Daniel's face turned bright red, "We were? Oh, God! I'm so sor…"  
He saw the girl laughing at him.  
"Ah, okay, very funny."  
She was still laughing, "No, but I guess I know now what you two were up to…"  
"Listen, I'm really sorry, but I have to go pick up my mom from the airport soon, so take care, it was nice to see you again..."  
"Marissa."  
"Right, sorry, Marissa. I guess I'll see you around."  
"See you around, neighbor. Good luck with your mum."  
As he searched through the airport, he saw his mother arriving and went to help her with her luggage.  
She saw him, and smiled, taking off her sunglasses. "Good Lord, I'm spoiled! I really hate to fly commercial anymore. It's gotten to be such a hassle! How are you, dear! You look tired. Betty been keeping you up too late?"  
"Mom!" he couldn't help grinning, in spite of himself, "More like I've been keeping her up late. I felt bad that she had to get up and go to work this morning."  
"Yes, well, she's young, dear. I'm sure she…didn't mind."  
He shook his head, "How am I so old all of a sudden?"  
She grinned, and put her arm around his waist as he took her luggage, "Is this all you have? You packed light!" He was extremely surprised.  
"No, there's more at the baggage claim, but after we get it, I need to go to Betty's and freshen up. I feel like a refugee. I think I'm going to have to establish a residence either here or in Paris now that both of my children are living abroad."  
"Yeah." He cringed, hoping she wouldn't start looking at his father's listed properties and notice his.  
As they sat in the car on the way to Betty's flat, Claire looked at Daniel, smiling, "So, I suppose given the living situation, I needn't ask how things are going with Betty. I must say, Daniel, you certainly didn't waste any time…uh…making your intentions clear to Betty!" She smirked.  
"Mom." He warned.  
"What? I'm very happy things are going so well, I assure you, Daniel. I suppose I'm just a little surprised that Betty was so…very glad to see you." She gave him a knowing smile.  
He just shook his head, choosing to ignore her.  
After riding in silence for a few minutes, she asked, "So, tell me, what does Betty's family think about…things moving so quickly with you and Betty?"  
Crap! He was literally speechless. As usual, he had thought about only is own problems and had completely forgotten to take the consequences this could have to Betty into consideration before he asked her to help him.  
He started feeling guilty, knowing her family might not be so happy, thinking he had just come there, and immediately moved in with her.  
"Well, you know, she's just putting me up temporarily. I'm not moving in forever, Mom. It just seemed easier for now than me living in a hotel till I figure things out, that's all." He hesitated, "But, I honestly don't think she's told her family I'm even here yet, so…"  
She 'zipped' her lips, holding up her hand, then patted his leg, "Don't worry, Daniel. I promise I won't be calling the Suarez's and spilling the beans. That's up to you and Betty."  
He suddenly felt a surge of concern. He had visions of Hilda yelling at him and Mr. Suarez shooting him. He knew he was liked well enough in her family as Betty's goofy, womanizing, over-indulgent boss.  
But for Mr. Suarez to be told Daniel had shown up on his daughter's door step, and moved in with her after only a few days? Hopefully, an ocean would be enough to keep him safe! He sometimes wished he thought things through a little better before rushing in headfirst so much.  
Frankly, he was surprised Betty hadn't reminded him about her family and objected to his bright idea on the basis of their possible objections. However, she was an adult, after all.  
As soon as they arrived at Betty's and his mother was getting changed, he slipped into the living room.  
"Betty? It's me. Yeah, Mom got here alright. She's changing. You said you won't have time for lunch? Okay, we'll just see you at five…oh okay, six…thirty, then? Thanks again for this. I really appreciate it. So, did you get some…rest?" he smiled.  
"Yes. Thank you. Did you?"  
"I slept okay. I just had to take a lot of cold showers."  
"Poor baby! Get used to it, because you KNOW you are only sleeping with your mom in the next room, right?"  
"I do now. Okay, fine, yes ma'am." He thought to himself, yeah and she told me I'd have to date her for a really long time, too. "Listen, Betty, have you said anything about me to your family?"  
He took her sudden silence to mean she hadn't.  
"No. I haven't had a chance to even think about …how it might look, actually."  
He hated to be the one to bring it up. He couldn't believe neither of them had thought of it before now. He knew his reasons; he was far too distracted to think about anything but his own libido. But he was somewhat amused that, apparently, so was she.  
She took a deep breath and declared, "I'll call Hilda right now. I have a few minutes. She can lecture me if she wants to but there's really not much she can do about it with me in England." She almost sounded gleeful.  
"I'm sorry, Betty." He felt selfish and helpless to offer her support. He had a sudden thought of a way he might be able to help. "Hey, would it help if I spoke to your dad and tried to explain why I asked you to do this for me?"  
She seemed shocked that he would make such an offer, but moved, "I guess. If you think you want to do that, Daniel. That would be…wonderful, thanks!"  
Honestly, he was almost hoping she would decline his offer, but he figured he might as well jump into the deep end. If it gave him a little good will credit with Betty, it was worth getting yelled at and possibly cursed out in Spanish, he figured. Once again, he found himself relieved that there was an ocean between himself and Mr. Suarez.  
He stepped outside, into the hallway, just in case his mom finished getting ready, so she wouldn't overhear him, and tried to explain to Betty's father why he would be staying with her. He figured now was as good a time as any to declare his feelings. It seemed easier over the phone.  
"Mr. Suarez. I just want you to know, this may seem sudden to you from an outside perspective. But, I've been in love with your daughter for some time now. I suppose I didn't realize it fully until she was gone. I…hope you don't think too terribly of me to ask her to do this for me and my mom."  
"Your mother is going to be there, right?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Well, I'd say that is a good enough chaperone for me. I know you have had your troubles in the past, Daniel. But, you have grown and become a very good man. I am not all that surprised to hear you love Betty. I think none of us are, really.  
Justin and Hilda have been predicting you two would get together for some time now. I saw the way you looked at each other and saw there was love there, too. You have always been very protective and caring towards her. As long as you are the true and faithful man I know mijah thinks you can be, I have no worries."  
Daniel took a breath, "Thank you, sir. I will absolutely make sure she's safe and try my best to take good care of her, I promise. I love her very much. I will be absolutely faithful. I can't imagine finding another woman who is anything like Betty."  
"Good, because if you ever hurt her, Daniel…"  
"No, sir! I promise, I won't!" he heard the implications in Mr. Suarez' voice. He had only seen a bit of that once before, when he had seen how Betty's father reacted to Justin's dad, Santos being there and not respecting Hilda or Justin's lifestyle. He knew he definitely did not want to piss the man off!  
Then, he heard the side of Ignacio Suarez he had come to know, "I'm very proud of you for having the cajones to call me yourself, mijoh. I'm glad you didn't let Betty do it for you. You've really come a long way since I met you!"  
"Thank you, Mr. Suarez." Daniel felt like he had never received such a simple, but heartfelt acknowledgement from his own father. It meant a lot to him that this man looked at him like a son.  
"Please, call me Ignacio."  
"Thanks, Ignacio. I'm really glad to hear you say that, sir."  
Later that evening, Daniel had sent a car for Betty and she walked into her flat, after work, and she was somewhat taken aback. Daniel and his mother had thoroughly cleaned and had set out a nice meal (from Maze, a five-star restaurant where Claire had connections, of course) ready for her.  
They both greeted her happily. After Claire had hugged her and thanked her for allowing her to stay, she insisted Betty eat with them, then get comfortable. "There is no need to feel as if you have to entertain me. I'm in no mood to run around London tonight, dear. I'm dead tired from visiting with Alexis and DJ and traveling. I'm going to call it a very early night. I'll probably just listen to my music and sleep like a log. You won't even know I'm here!"  
Daniel was smirking at his mother's obvious little act, shaking his head at her. She just mimed to him "What? I thought you'd be happy?"  
As they finished their dessert, a banana and salted caramel sundae, Claire was in the mood for teasing the couple. "So…how did you two meet?"  
"Funny, Mom. Cut it out." Daniel shook his head.  
"Sorry, Daniel I just want to point out to both of you that I told you this would happen. Daniel, as you well know, your ridiculous behavior when Betty left New York completely betrayed how much you loved her.  
And Betty, I see you finally figured out my theory was indeed correct. Honestly, dear, you are a very intelligent girl when it comes to most matters. However, you've always been a bit on the slow side to figure out when a man wanted you!"  
"Mrs. Meade!" Betty was blushing, as she took a bite of ice cream.  
"Please, dear. Call me Claire, for heaven's sake. I mean, you're living with my son now. You two are practically married…"  
"Mom!" Daniel was the one blushing now.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12 A Date with Mom

Chapter 12: A Date with Mom  
Don't own anything!  
"Well, that was very interesting with your mom. She certainly doesn't let us off easily. I don't think I've ever seen you so tongue-tied, Daniel." Betty came into her bedroom to find Daniel in her bed already.  
Normally, she would be babbling about something, anything, but she found herself speechless and nothing seemed to be able to take her mind off the fact that he was in her bed….waiting.  
She had been very proud of herself for telling him she needed rest the previous night. He was about as subtle as a dump truck about wanting to repeat their previous day's activities.  
She actually hadn't been completely lying about her need for rest; she did wonder where the man got the energy. Maybe it was because, as he and Amanda had both mentioned, he had not been with anyone for months.  
Well, okay, who was she kidding, she knew Daniel. He was usually with a new girl almost every night. But that had been before Molly. Still, who was she Betty to compete with all those women? All those skinny, not to mention, much more experienced women.  
She believed Daniel loved her. But that was…well, she didn't really know exactly how to process that right now. The things that kept plaguing her and gnawing at her self-confidence were more superficial things, such as; he's seen me naked now.  
He obviously knows I'm not anywhere near the size zero girls he's used to, or even a size four, more like a six, and that's only if Christine or someone equally fabulous did couture for her and allowed for her curves. The curves you know he loves, the nice side of herself tried to reason. But, insecurity was really beating up on her right now.  
She knew she had certainly never had so much sex in one day before. Even the one time with Matt when they had a lazy weekend together. It was good with Matt, and she definitely realized she enjoyed good sex, but with Daniel….it was on a whole different level.  
Besides, there was good, then there was absolutely amazing. She couldn't help wondering if he frequently had sex six times in one day (at least with the same partner) or if she was an exception. Not that she really wanted to know any details.  
She saw Daniel raise his eyebrows as she came in from the bathroom, freshly showered, her face scrubbed and her hair in a loose braid. She was wearing a long, loose nightshirt with her big, fuzzy, pink robe over it and her fuzzy slippers. Of course, she tried not to keep staring, but he was naked from the waist up and she couldn't tell about from the waist down, since he was under the covers. He laughed and she made a face, "What's so funny?"  
"You are, Betty." He smiled. His big, goofy grin that he used when he thought he knew something more than she did. It was his somewhat smug grin. He didn't get too much opportunity to use it, because usually, Betty was a few steps ahead of him in figuring things out. But nonetheless, here he was, grinning like an idiot. She had to admit, her pride was suffering.  
"Thanks. I'm glad I'm so amusing. We can't all be supermodels, or…mister GQ." She didn't even try to keep the resentment out of her voice. He hurt her feelings laughing at her like that. Did he really think laughing was the way to go here?  
Maybe he didn't even expect or want sex, she thought suddenly. Her insecurities came charging back with a vengeance now.  
He patted the empty side of the bed for her to join him. "You look very cute, sweetie. I just think it's funny that you actually think that outfit is going to…protect you…from me, that's all."  
She tried to keep her knees from buckling at that sweetie, in his deep, sexy voice that made her all mushy lately, let alone the innuendo in the rest of what he just said to her. She smiled weakly and could only manage a soft, "Oh."  
The next morning, Daniel was happy to see he had actually woken up before her. After a very quiet night of lovemaking so they didn't disturb his mother, he felt like he wanted to show Betty how grateful he was to her for…well, just for being herself.  
Part of him worried that Betty was going to have a sudden epiphany that he couldn't be trusted to be faithful. It hadn't escaped him that that seemed to be her father's main cause for concern.  
No wonder. They knew, her whole family, but more importantly, especially Betty knew…exactly what a total dog he had been.  
He cringed, remembering the night he watched her from his window, sitting on the steps out in the cold, giving him signals for one girl to leave and another to come up. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.  
He looked at her sleeping now, with her long, dark hair all over her pillow, and resisted the temptation to immediately wake her for a repeat of the night's activities.  
But he would have to hurry if he wanted to feed her…and still have time to tempt her into a possible morning tryst. He knew she was far too busy to take the day off just because he wanted to have sex all day. Too bad he wasn't still her boss, so he could give her the day off, he thought to himself.  
He wandered into her kitchen and decided he might be able to make an omelet and toast. He chopped up some peppers and saw what he assumed was cheese. He even managed to get the coffee figured out, since he had watched her so carefully early Sunday when she had made it for him.  
He went into the living room and found a tray, then put one of the roses along with a daisy in a small vase he only bumped his head twice finding under the sink.  
There! He was actually proud of himself that he could figure things out enough to make a small gesture at least. He took a bite to make sure it was edible before he brought it to her. Certainly nothing spectacular, but not bad, he thought, smiling.  
He quietly walked back into the bedroom, and saw that she was still sleeping. She had a whole hour and forty-five minutes before he knew she needed to start getting ready for work.  
He carefully placed the tray there, then leaned over and started kissing her forehead and nose. She stirred, and slowly opened those big, dark brown eyes.  
He took a bite of the toast, and said, "I made you food, girl. You should feel very honored. I've never actually cooked for a woman before." Well, Molly, sort of, he thought.  
"Do you want some, or are you afraid to eat my cooking?" he offered her a bite.  
"It looks great!" She opened her mouth, and let him feed her. She made lots of yummy noises. In fact, she exaggerated so much; he laughed, and put his hand over her mouth.  
"Betty! Cut it out, you'll wake up my mom; she'll think we're doing stuff in here."  
She shrugged and swallowed, licking her lips, "Mmm…that was delicious. Thank you. You know, I think you are the first man other than my dad of course, that has actually cooked for me, Daniel."  
"Yeah? Do you want some more? You don't have to eat it if you don't like it…." She laughed at how adorable he sounded.  
She grabbed the fork and ate several bites, exaggerating her sounds of pleasure and giggling. "Mmmm….Daniel…that's so good….yum."  
He shook his head and tried to grab the fork back from her. "You don't have to be so patronizing, Betty. Just because your father is a professional cook. You can't cook, either. At least I tried." He pretended to be hurt, batting his eyes pathetically.  
She kissed him and smiled, "Yes, you did. It's really good, seriously. I can't believe you made me breakfast in bed, Daniel. That was so thoughtful and adorable. How bad is my kitchen?" she couldn't help teasing him a little.  
"Hey! It's not…too bad. Don't worry, I'll clean up before I leave."  
"You're…leaving?" she seemed upset. "Why? I thought…"  
He grinned impishly, "Don't get your panties in a wad, Betty. I just meant out…for the day, with my mom, you know. I'm coming back…for more, don't worry, honey. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He leaned over and kissed her, placing the tray on the nightstand and leaning down on top of her. They were a bit less concerned about not making noise this time.  
Claire woke up and roamed into the kitchen of Betty's flat, seeking a glass of water. She chuckled as she heard Daniel in the shower, singing. She couldn't tell exactly what he was singing, other than catching a few odd phrases here and there.  
She went into the living room, and turned on the news. Daniel stuck his head out, wearing a towel, as he noticed her on his way back to the bedroom, "Oh, hey, Mom. You're up? Just give me a few minutes to get dressed. Do I need to dress up?"  
She laughed, "Well, perhaps something you would normally wear in New York at least. Not that the jeans you were wearing yesterday weren't extremely…comfortable-looking."  
"Okay, Mom. Message received. I'll dress up. I wouldn't want to embarrass you, being a bum and all."  
"You're not a bum, dear. Just a thirty-seven year old going through an early mid-life crisis."  
Jeez, he thought, why was everyone determined to make him feel old all of a sudden? He certainly hadn't felt old with Betty last night or this morning, he thought, smiling.  
As he came into the living room, dressed in a light blue Dolce and Gabana suit, she thought she had never seen him looking so happy, so fulfilled. "Good morning, dear. Sleep well?" she smiled, kissing his cheek, then wiping off her lipstick absently.  
"Yeah, thanks. How about you? I know that's probably not the best mattress in the world."  
"It's fine, dear. Don't worry. You know, I don't think I've heard you singing in the shower since you were a teenager." She teased.  
He laughed, "What you mean…Marilyn? Becks' sister? Yeah, that's ancient history. But in all fairness, you haven't seen me that much in quite a while, especially in the morning. For all you know, I could sing in the shower every morning."  
She smiled, "Well tell me then, dear, DO you usually sing in the shower every morning? Have you suddenly become a morning person? Please enlighten me."  
She was getting impatient for him to tell her what she already knew, but wanted to hear from him. She knew he was keeping something from her, something important and it was annoying her. Especially considering he had yet to admit she had been right all along about his feelings for Betty.  
She felt he at least owed her some kind of credit for picking up on his change of attitude-what was it he had admitted in his letter…an attitude of love…which never goes out of fashion?  
She knew she had at least been a catalyst for him to stop hiding and denying his feelings for Betty and all she was asking for from him (or Betty, for that matter) was some kind of acknowledgement that she had been right. Was that really too much for a mother to ask?  
She realized she may be a little tense today…of all days. She figured Daniel would probably not even have a clue that this day would have any significance for her…or sadness.  
He leaned over and smiled, as if he could read her thoughts. He kissed her on the cheek and said, "Happy anniversary, Mom. Do you want some coffee? I made some earlier. It's not half bad, if I do say so myself."  
She looked as if he had grown an extra head. "You? Made coffee for yourself? I'm amazed. And thank you for… remembering. Did Betty remind you?"  
He smirked, "Why do you find it so hard to believe that I really remembered yours and dad's anniversary…or that I can actually make coffee for myself? I made it earlier for Betty before she left. I…tried to make her breakfast in bed."  
"Yes, I believe I heard her…thanking you." She teased. "I guess my earphones must have fallen out this morning."  
"Mom!" his ears tinged a bit. She shook her head, "You were…very quiet last night, but this morning…" she laughed slightly. She loved watching him squirm. "Sorry, Daniel. You're just too easy to tease, lately.  
You never used to be so bashful. Usually it was all I could do to keep you out of the tabloids. At least, it used to be that way. I guess that's been a while, though, now that I think about it."  
He knew she was trying to avoid what they were both thinking, "You mean, since before Molly? Yeah. Well, I guess it's about time I grew out of that stuff, huh? But, I'm sorry if Betty woke you up. Honestly, she was just being silly, making yummy noises over my breakfast. I told her you would think we were doing stuff."  
She looked at him incredulously, "You expect me to believe that? Well, perhaps you should consider a career as a chef then, Daniel, because she sounded like she was enjoying her…food very much!"  
He shook his head, sipping his coffee and handing her a cup. "Well, sorry, you'll just have to take my word for it, I didn't make anymore. I used all the eggs. Do you want to go out for some brunch at The Ritz maybe? Since I'm unemployed, I'm free to go wherever you feel like, Mom. I'm all yours today."  
She smiled, and put her hand on his arm, remembering when he had made time for her to celebrate her sixtieth birthday just the two of them. It was a very sweet gesture. She was so proud of the man he was becoming.  
She hated that his father had made him feel so unsure of himself for so long. She knew that was why he had tried to find acceptance in the 'arms' of so many women over the years, never feeling adequate, running away from anything lasting, so he didn't have to worry about ever being rejected. At least until he found Betty.  
She said, "Would you mind if we…had a little visit at the Meade UK offices? I'd like to say hello to a few old friends I haven't seen in years there?"  
"Sure, Mom. You look very pretty. Dad was a lucky guy." He kissed her forehead and went to grab their coats.  
As they arrived at the offices of the London headquarters of Meade UK Publications, Daniel tried to remember the last time he had been inside the building. He could recall one very upsetting time when he was very young. He had been holding his mother's hand and Alex must have been in school, so he would have been maybe five?  
He didn't really know what was going on at the time, he just remembered vividly his mother walking with him in tow, and having a huge argument with Bradford once she got there, then crying even harder and handing him off to some woman with a really big hairdo.  
The next thing he remembered, his father had brought him home, and had hired a new nanny that he introduced he and Alex to before he explained that their mother was 'sick' and the new nanny would be taking care of them until she was better.  
Of course, later, he realized she had started using alcohol as a comfort for her heartaches to his father's philandering.  
He looked down at her hand, and squeezed it, then asked gently, "You okay?"  
She nodded. "I'm fine, dear. Thank you for taking the time to do this with me. I appreciate it."  
He shrugged, "Mom, listen, I want you to know that…no matter what happens here, with me and Betty, I'm not going to fall off the earth. I'll fly you here, or we'll come visit you in New York, or we could do video chatting sometimes. I've been doing that with DJ a lot and…"  
"Daniel, it's fine. We'll do all those things, certainly. But, I still have work, and I have friends. I'll survive with you and Alexis in Europe. I still have one more child to annoy now, too."  
"Yeah. I know. Well, I didn't mean annoy. You know what I mean."  
He was concerned that this would be a stressful day for her. He cringed, thinking about the warning Alexis had given him.  
The CEO looked up from his desk and rose suddenly. He straightened his jacket and tie, and walked out to greet Claire with respect and deference.  
"Mrs. Meade, what an unexpected pleasure! This must be your son, Alex?" he extended his hand to Daniel.  
Daniel accepted his hand, and corrected him, "No, it's the other son, Daniel, Mr. Cranston. It's good to see you again, sir. It's been quite some time."  
"Yes, yes, of course. Now, I remember! Tell me, were you the one I caught in the mailroom with the pretty intern or was that your brother?"  
Daniel laughed, "That must have been Alex, I guess." No, he was busy in The Closet, he thought to himself.  
He wandered into the Mode UK offices. The receptionist looked at him curiously, as if she recognized him, but wasn't quite sure where she had seen him. "Hello, sir. May I help you find something?"  
"No, thanks, I just came up here to see the operations. I…work at the US offices. Or, at least, I used to work at Mode in New York. But, I'm not really sure I want to even stay in publishing. My name is Daniel."  
He extended his hand. The young woman smiled and looked at him somewhat flirtatiously. "Hello, there, Daniel. I am Cyndi. The Editor is out to lunch. I could maybe get you an interview if you think you might want to work here. They are looking for someone for their accounting department, I know. But, I don't think there is anything else right now."  
Yeah, not him, he thought. Maybe good ole Henry was looking for a job here. He always seemed to show up in Betty's life, like a bad penny. He shook his head, "I'm afraid that's not really uh…my cup of tea. But thanks."  
She nodded, "Well, if you do decide to stay in publishing, there's always Dunne…and Bloomsbury. You could check with one of them."  
"Thanks. I just might do that." He turned to go when he saw a tall, blonde haired man approach the reception desk. "Cyndi, do you know if Paul has my reports yet?"  
She shook her head, "I don't know, Reggie. I'll ask him again, as soon as he gets back from lunch, alright? Daniel, this is Reggie Maxwell. He's the head of the accounting department. Reggie, this is Daniel…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your last name…"  
"Meade, Daniel Meade." He looked at them both strangely when they laughed at his introduction. He figured it must have been because they had made the connection that he was THAT Meade. He was wrong.  
"Really, double oh-seven? It's lovely to meet you? What brings you to London, mate? You here on C-I five business, then or what?"  
He understood and laughed with them, realizing that they had been so amused at his James Bond introduction of himself, they didn't seem to realize he owned the company. He shook his head, "No, no secret agent stuff, I promise. I'm just waiting on my mom, actually. Wait…you work in accounting, huh?"  
Daniel noticed suddenly how blue Reginald's eyes were. Very much like his own. He asked, "What kind of uh…watering holes are good for a visit? I heard Soho is a good place to drink and I love karaoke, too. Any that people here go to a lot…that you could recommend?"  
Daniel could tell the girl was crushing on the tall accountant. It made him think of Betty's goofy grin every time tall, dark and dorky showed up. He suddenly didn't think he would ever like accountants, even if they told him he had millions, which they had, in fact. Still…he waited for an answer.  
Cindy offered, as she patted Reggie's hand, "Well, there's The Source Below, The Birdcage, Square Meal, and of course, Karaoke Box." She seemed to be saying the last name very softly, as if she didn't want to bring it up in front of Reggie.  
He looked at Cindy and said, suddenly, his head down, "I need to get back downstairs. Call me when you have the report. Nice to meet you, Meade, Daniel Meade…" he laughed lightly, shaking Daniel's hand again and heading for the elevators.  
"What's wrong with him?" Daniel asked.  
She shook her head, still watching the man head into the elevators, "Oh, he's just nursing a case of…broken-heartedness a bit, I suppose. He met some American bird a few weeks ago in that place I told you about, the Karaoke Box?  
She evidently pulled a Cinderella on him, got drunk and kissed him, then gave him a fake name and phone number and he hasn't seen or heard from her since."  
"I see." Daniel said, trying not to show his emotions. "So, what did he say she TOLD him her name was, did he say?"  
She thought a minute, then said, "I think she told him her name was Donna or something like that…he said she just kept saying that. She evidently was pretty pissed when he met her and got more so as the evening progressed.  
He wanted to take her home, but said she was with some Scottish woman, her lover I suppose, who ran interference. I told him she was probably a lesbian and she was just so drunk she wanted to experiment or something. Come to think of it, maybe Donna was actually the name of her lover….that would make sense."  
He shook his head, and mumbled something. He had to get out of there.  
He had a few things he wanted to ask Betty tonight. But he tried to concentrate on talking to his mother, and seeing if he could find out about the loft.  
Once they were seated at The Ritz, sitting at the pink tablecloths spread for the lunch service, he started to ask if she remembered having a residence here.  
"Did Alex and I like it here? I remember actually being here a little, I think, when I was really young. Was that…the same time you guys were friends with Hartley?"  
"Yes. We all socialized back then. But…your father and I were already having some problems and Cal and Victoria were close to a divorce, until she found out she was pregnant. Then he went back to her for the sake of the baby. But of course, it still didn't last."  
He shook his head, thinking it was ironic that Betty had managed to date Matt Hartley, of all people, given his connection to Daniel's family.  
Since the Hartleys were in a much higher tax bracket than his family, they didn't exactly run in the same circles. He figured he needed to try and bring up the loft. "Mom, did you and Dad have a place here? I…thought I saw a residence in London listed in Dad's assets."  
She shrugged, "I know we had a nice penthouse for a while, but that had to be sold when Connor Owens stole from us. Before that, a long time ago, we had a little place, too. But you're father sold that back in the seventies, he told me. Is there some reason you're asking me?"  
He shrugged, "Not really. I was just talking to my accountant and he asked me what properties I had in my portfolio and wanted to make sure I added any I had inherited from Dad's estate. So, it made me think about it, that's all.  
So, did you want dessert? I'm going to see about ordering dinner here tonight, unless you're feeling up to going out tonight."  
"Of course, I am. I look forward to hearing Betty make her cute yummy noises in a restaurant, as well. It should be very interesting. I just hope we don't create a scene." She teased.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13 A Touch of Blarney

Chapter 13: A Touch of Blarney  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything…  
Sorry, I tried to post both of these in time for St. Patrick's Day, since we're getting into the trip to Ireland, but RL got in the way! Hope everyone enjoyed their day!  
They headed to Dunne Publishing to pick Betty up. He and Claire were very impressed at Betty's new place of employment. It had old-world charm. It was definitely a far cry from New York Mode's ultra-modern décor. Lindsay Dunne was just coming out of Betty's office.  
After exchanging pleasantries with him, Daniel and his mother greeted Betty who had come to the door when she saw them talking to her new boss.  
Claire hugged her warmly and told her how proud she was of her. Daniel gave her a strange look. She kissed him on the cheek lightly. He suddenly asked, "So…are you up for going to the Karaoke Box tonight, Betty?" He knew he shouldn't bring it up.  
But somehow seeing the guy in person, and especially finding out he worked for Mode UK made him want to find out more. He knew he had no right to give her grief about something that happened before she knew his feelings for her and certainly before they were together, but that didn't mean he had to like it.  
He remembered her 'don't ask; don't tell' suggestion, thinking that it certainly benefited him far more than her. Still, he couldn't help it. He knew, just like he had when he had argued with her over her 'date' with Henry in New York that he would never be okay with her seeing any guy who wasn't him.  
She looked at him, "I've only been there once…with Christine. Why that one, in particular?" she was afraid she knew the answer.  
Claire looked at the couple, wondering what was up, that there was suddenly so much tension between them, and certainly not the sexual kind she was used to with these two, especially recently.  
She watched as Betty squirmed uncomfortably. "Why do you want to go there, Daniel?"  
Claire offered, "Well Daniel was singing up a storm this morning in the shower, Betty. You must have him wanting to belt out in song at how happy you make him or something."  
Betty smiled at Claire, and looked at Daniel, "Is that so? You were singing in the shower? I wish I'd heard that! What were you singing?"  
He shrugged, "I don't remember, just some song I heard in a dance club once, that's all."  
Claire was trying to decide what was going on with Daniel. He had seemed so happy earlier, but had his sourpuss face after he came back from Mode.  
Betty could tell he was clearly sulking about the pub incident. She didn't know what made him upset about that now suddenly, but she excused herself to Claire and pulled Daniel down the hallway. "Okay, do you want to tell me what's going on, Daniel?  
What happened to breakfast in bed this morning and wake up sex and….singing love songs about me in the shower? Why are you suddenly all upset about something I already told you about and that happened before you even came here?"  
"Who said I was singing love songs about you? I was just singing, that's all. Can't a guy sing in the shower if he wants to? Does everything always have to be about you?" That hurt. It reminded her of Gio's comment about her living in Betty Suarez Land.  
"NO! Stop acting like a child, Daniel. Tell me why you suddenly are fishing around asking about the place you know I went to with Christine? And why you all of a sudden seem…mad at me out of the blue?"  
She was clearly exasperated, and looked like she was going to cry, but was also irritated with his sudden change in attitude towards her.  
"Hmmm…funny you should mention blue. I just happened to run into some guy with really blue eyes at Mode today. A guy named Reggie Something…an accountant there.  
It seems you left him all heartbroken, kissing him then taking off. The guy was ready to put out an APB or something on you, since you evidently told him your name was Donna and gave him a fake number."  
She looked shocked, "What? He works at Mode here? Oh my God! Daniel, I had no idea! Well, he might have told me that night, but…."  
"Yeah, yeah. I know, you were too drunk to remember anything. I suppose it's a good thing Christine was with you, or who knows how far things would have gone, huh?  
I've been trying to make sure my mom wasn't too upset all day today, since it was my parent's anniversary, trying to keep her from drinking. Clearly, you need to stay sober, too. Otherwise you go around kissing guys and leaving them all hot for you…or who knows what!"  
She suddenly smiled, putting her hands on his chest suggestively, and said, "Hey, is it my fault I left the poor guy wanting more? What happened to our little policy? I mean, if you want me to start bringing up YOUR past mister, we can go there, but I really don't think you want to open that can of worms!  
Look, Daniel, I honestly didn't even remember kissing anybody until Becks mentioned someone saw me. I told you, I don't drink that often. This is one reason I don't! I do stupid things and don't remember doing them.  
She looked up at him, thinking how adorable he looked. She began running her hand up from his waist to his abdomen. "You…look very sexy by the way in your suit. I like you casual, too, but…there's just something about you in a Dolce and Gabana.  
I think we have a copy room with a door that locks." She winked. Wow-did she really pull that off with a straight face, she wondered. Was he buying it?  
He softened his glare as she continued touching his chest and stomach through his shirt. He pushed her away slightly, "Betty, my mom's waiting for us in your office, remember? Besides, she…uh…heard you this morning, you know." he seemed a little less tense as he gave a hint of a smile.  
"Really? Did you tell her I was just showing my appreciation for your cooking?" she teased.  
"I tried, but I don't really think she bought it. She said she wanted to see if you liked your food as much in the restaurant tonight."  
"Should I see if I can embarrass her? Fake it?" she raised an eyebrow.  
"Huh? I thought you knew my mom better than that, Betty. There is no way you'd embarrass her. She'd watch us do it on the table in front of her and just eat around us, pretending she didn't notice, just to mess with us!"  
"That sounds appetizing." She laughed.  
"Believe me, Alex and I tried all kinds of stunts to get her to crack. She is the queen of restraint in public, usually. Wilhelmina is about the only one who I've ever seen make her crack, well, besides Fay, of course."  
"I guess since your father almost married Wilhelmina…and was with Fay for so long, that stands to reason."  
He shivered, "God, don't remind me of him almost marrying Willi! I try to put that out of my mind. What my dad ever saw in either one of them is beyond me."  
"Maybe it was more of the fact that they were both very driven, like him."  
"My mom has a lot of drive, too." She loved the way he defended his mom.  
She nodded, "I know she does. Just like you, Daniel. But you both have a softer side, too. Thank goodness. I think Alexis had that 'killer' instinct you mentioned your father admired her for…at least when she was Alex. Wilhelmina and Fay both are more like him.  
He seemed to have forgotten all about the "Reggie" issue at least for the moment. He took her hand. "Are you ready to go entertain my mother?"  
She nodded and smiled. She always knew how to distract him. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, just as she had been congratulating herself, and whispered, "Very clever, by the way, Betty. Pretending to want sex as a way to shut me up."  
He knew she would certainly never be the type to have sex in a copy room. He cringed, remembering how she had watched the security footage of him (with her father, no less). Yes, he honestly didn't think even he would want to repeat that. Unless she was really into it, of course.  
The evening went off much smoother than any of them imagined. Claire was teasing them about their romance good-naturedly, and they seemed to have their natural groove back. It did her heart good to see them so happy. So content with each other. She was glad they had finally figured out how much they cared for one another.  
She looked at Betty when Daniel had gone to the restroom, leaving them alone. "Betty, can I offer you a word of advice, dear?" Betty nodded. "Make sure Daniel knows what's really important. This goes for you, as well. Yes, it is very good to know what you want to do as your life's work. He'll figure things out, I'm sure, especially with you to help guide him.  
But work is not the answer to all your problems. Relationships are the most valuable asset anyone can have in their life. If you sacrifice too much at the expense of those relationships, things can fall apart that sometimes can never be repaired, no matter how much you want them."  
She nodded, knowing that Claire was referring to her marriage with Bradford and how he had put work ahead of it. She decided to take a chance, "Mrs. Meade, do you believe in…soul mates?"  
The older woman got a sad, faraway look in her eye, "I used to. It can be a very confusing notion sometimes."  
She looked at Betty, and put her hand on hers, resting on the table, "I do think you and my son have that, though, Betty. I saw it right away.  
You two have a really special bond that doesn't come along every day. Or often, even in a lifetime. I…actually thought I had that with Daniel's father. He seemed to think so, too. We were deliriously happy for many years. But we both took it for granted.  
I feel like he still felt that way about me…in the end. But we let it slip away for a long time. Don't ever take each other for granted. What you have with Daniel is very special. Remember to be grateful you have each other. Many people never find that kind of love."  
The next few days went by much easier than either Betty or Daniel had anticipated. They found they enjoyed having Claire there, teasing them and encouraging them in their new relationship. She kept telling them they were going to miss her, when she was no longer there, acting as their fairy godmother.  
Finally, as she got ready to leave for New York, Betty looked at her and gave her a big hug. "What was that for, dear?"  
"I just wanted to thank you for helping Daniel and me see what we were both too blind to notice all these years."  
Finally! She wasn't surprised Betty was the first one to recognize how much she longed to hear those words. Daniel looked at her, and grinned, suddenly getting it. He usually followed along pretty well with Betty's lead.  
He kissed his mom on the cheek, "Yeah, thanks, Mom. You were right. Is that what you were waiting to hear?"  
She shrugged, thinking, now was that really that hard to say?  
After his mother's departure for New York, Daniel tried to think of a way to stay at Betty's flat. He felt so comfortable there. But he knew she wasn't quite ready yet. He was always the one to jump in, feet first, sometimes headfirst, even.  
She was more the type to wade in and check out the water before she started swimming. He kissed her with as much passion as he could before returning to his place. It felt so lonely and cold there without her.  
He picked up the phone, after he had put away his things. "Hey. I'm all unpacked. I just wanted to say goodnight. Thanks again for doing that. It was nice pretending to live together, at least."  
She laughed. He loved her laugh. So innocent sounding. She got quiet for a minute, then said, "So…since you're mom left early, I guess we at least have time to talk about Dublin. Did you make the reservations yet?"  
"Yes, Miss Smarty Pants. I did, all by myself, thank you. I got us a really nice suite, overlooking the city. You can get off early tomorrow, right? If we take the three thirty flight, we can get there in an hour and forty-five minutes. That will give us the better part of three days there. Our appointment at the shop is at ten thirty Saturday morning."  
She had a sudden thought, "Daniel, did you reserve…two rooms?"  
He seemed totally shocked at the thought, "No, why? You want separate rooms, Betty…seriously?"  
He hadn't been allowed to touch her again Wednesday night, since he had teased her about being too noisy that morning. Here it was Thursday and he was getting no loving, either. He had been looking forward to their weekend getaway to Ireland all week.  
Now she wanted separate rooms? Was she kidding? He knew her well enough to know she wasn't that bothered by their somewhat quick transition from friends to lovers.  
None of that applied to them anyway, right? They already knew so much about one another…why would they delay things even more? He was actually speechless at her saying this.  
Then, he remembered how nervous and uncomfortable she had seemed with him sleeping in her room.  
He was trying to figure out what was holding her back. "Betty, did I say something to upset you? Did I…do something wrong? Or did my mom say something?"  
She didn't know what to tell him. She just felt strange having him pay for a room they were going to be staying in together. She felt like a 'kept' woman or something. She knew the suite he would get would be way out of her price range, too. He never even thought about price, she realized.  
Plus, there was that expectation of sex again. The whole time…not that it was such an unpleasant prospect, certainly. She just wanted to be courted a little, too. She felt like things were moving way too fast.  
She wanted to enjoy getting to know him as her boyfriend, without sex being the only way they communicated. Not that she was complaining, mind you.  
She tried to make him understand her point of view. "Daniel, there are a few reasons I asked about getting separate rooms. First of all, I'm not you. I'm still a little…embarrassed at getting undressed in front of you.  
Yes, I know…you've already seen me…naked. But, it just still feels strange a little. I'm not used to it yet. Having you in my bed felt very…different."  
He thought for a moment, then recalled her reaction the first time he kissed her, "Okay. Well, different isn't always bad though, right? You said that the first time I kissed you and you seem pretty comfortable with that now.  
I didn't hear any objections the last several times we kissed, at least. In fact, you seemed pretty enthusiastic."  
She blushed, remembering how fervently she had responded to his kissing her goodbye when he left her flat earlier. "Well, no. I guess not. It was…nice."  
"Nice, huh? Gee, don't get all gushy on me or anything, Betty. You'll make my head swim." He shook his head. She was so exasperating sometimes.  
Bullheaded, he might say. But that was also one of the things that he loved about her-she never went along with the crowd, that's for sure.  
She laughed, "Okay, it was totally awesome, Daniel. Do you want me to make my yummy noises again?" she teased. "I mainly only did that to embarrass you in front of your mom."  
"Really? And it didn't embarrass you, too?"  
"Yeah. Actually, it did. But it was worth it to see you blush. You're not usually embarrassed at much of anything I would personally find mortifying. But when your mom was teasing us about being practically married, I thought you were going to faint. It was hilarious."  
"It doesn't embarrass me as much as you might think, Betty." That got her quiet suddenly. Two could play this game of chicken, he thought. "In fact, she was asking me if I thought Nigel needed your ring size yet."  
"What?" she sounded like he had told her her house was on fire. "Are you serious?"  
"No." he wished he had a video phone right now. He would have given anything to see her expression. She was quiet for a second or two.  
"Touché, Daniel. You got me."  
"Really? Enough to forget all this nonsense about separate rooms, Betty? It's a suite; I can go in the other room while you're dressing. Now, the undressing part, I might want to be in on, though. I can be very handy in helping you with stuck zippers and stuff."  
"Yes, I'm sure you're an expert." She said dryly. "Okay, fine. We'll…share. But don't think you are never going to have to take me out on real dates, Daniel. I'm not that easy, you know.  
Just because we've known each other forever, and you've managed to charm your way into my bed a few times, doesn't mean you get a free pass all the time now. You're still going to have to work for it a little bit. I'm not one of your little bimbos, remember."  
He smiled, "That's fine, Betty. I'm always up for a challenge. Maybe you'll do me the honor of accompanying me to the Grand Social. I was reading about it online. It sounds like they have a lot of live music and dancing.  
There are classes, too, like intensive music lessons for two, a Ghost tour…all kinds of pretty cool stuff."  
She smiled, "We'll see, Daniel. I'll meet you tomorrow at three at my flat. I'm already packed." He could tell she was excited.  
They were holding hands looking down as the plane was about to land. "Oh, my God…look how pretty it is! I can't wait to kiss the Blarney Stone, and see the Ha'penny bridge, Dublin Castle, The Custom House, Christchurch, St. Stephen's Green, and…" she was clearly excited and had researched places of interest she wanted to visit.  
Daniel laughed, squeezing her hand, "Sorry, Betty, but we're only going to be there one weekend this time, remember? Maybe we could come back some other time and see all that other stuff, okay?"  
She nodded, her eyes still shining. "Right, we have a mystery to solve. Daniel, I have a really good feeling about this. It's going to be so fun finding out about the decanter set. I can't explain why, but I think it's going to turn out to be a good surprise!"  
He didn't know if he shared her optimism, but it looked good on her, he thought, smiling at how cute she looked. "Okay, Betty. If you say so. I got us the Princess Grace Suite at The Shelbourne Hotel."  
She looked at him, "A suite, huh?"  
"Yeah. Is that…okay? It overlooks St. Stephen's Square." He seemed nervous she would decide she wanted her own room.  
"As long as we get out of the room once in a while!" She smiled.

Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Soul Friends

Chapter 14: Soul Friends  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty  
Okay, so I'm Irish! My brother's name is James Edward Finney, and no kidding, he was born on St. Patrick's Day. However, even though I lived in the UK for three years, I was too scared to go to Ireland at the time. (It was from 1980—1983, and the IRA were doing lots of bombing, so it wasn't really safe!)  
So, please, please forgive my terrible attempt at Irish accents and sayings! If you are from Ireland, you have my permission to trash my crummy attempts! Nonetheless, hope you enjoy Daniel and Betty's first day there in the Emerald Isles! (FYI-I do plan a trip there later this year, so perhaps I could do in person research and go back and update this!)  
Are you sure you're not part Irish, Betty?" Daniel asked, as she continued reading about one of the tours she was trying to convince him to go on while they were in Dublin.  
She put her head up from the brochure, "Why do you say that?"  
He rolled his eyes, "Well, nothing, I just noticed they talk a lot here. An awful lot! Of course, at least with you I can understand what you're saying, which is more than I can say for the people here.  
I just tend to tune you out sometimes when you go on and on and on…" he laughed, making a gesture of talking with his hand.  
"Thanks a lot!" she pretended to be hurt. "I thought you liked me to enlighten you about the culture. A lot of the fun facts about Ireland I found I thought were pretty interesting. Like how the word "galore" comes from the Irish go leor, which means "enough" or "plenty."  
And how the expression Beyond the pale originated in Ireland in the 14th century. The Pale was the area of Ireland under heavy British control. People living in areas outside it were considered wild and outlandish. You don't think that kind of thing is interesting?"  
He pretended to be asleep, then 'woke up', rubbing his eyes, "Sorry, did you say something, Betty? I must have nodded off during your enlightening little speech…" he grinned, as she punched him in the arm.  
"Excuse me for wanting to soak up the local culture while we're here. That fancy-shmancy hotel you booked us in is really nice, Daniel, but we might as well be in New York.  
I want to see what the locals do here and find out how they live, what they do for fun, that kind of thing.  
I read this really fascinating book last year about the 1916 Easter Irish uprising by Lorcan Collins and Conor Kostick. It was very entertaining. They're amazing writers."  
"A book about an uprising was entertaining?"  
"Aha! You were actually listening? I thought I lost you earlier…mister only listens to me half the time." She had hooked her arm through his as they walked through Stephen's Green.  
There was a bit of sun trying to come out, through the clouds. She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Have you heard what the weather guys call a day like this in England?  
I guess they say the same thing here, too. They call it 'scattered sunshine', just like how in the states they say 'scattered showers'. Isn't that weird?"  
He smiled and nodded, "Mmmm hmmm. Very. I guess it's because there's more rain than sunshine here. Although I really haven't missed the sun that much since I moved."  
"Really?"  
He grinned giving her a quick kiss, "Well, no. I've got my own little ball of sunshine right here."  
"Aww…" she rolled her eyes, "Sounds like somebody's trying to get laid tonight."  
He pretended to be shocked, "Miss Suarez! I can't believe you just said that! What happened to my innocent little Betty! What's gotten into you?"  
She giggled, "No comment, Mr. Meade. What can I say? You're a terrible influence on me."  
They ate lunch in a local pub and Betty dragged him on a small walking tour which included many of the normal sights, Ha'penny Bridge, Trinity College, and Grafton Street. They ended up at Temple Bar, and Betty came up to him, excited, after returning from the loo.  
"Daniel, some guy in there told me there is this awesome literary walking tour that has actors performing extracts from major works in a number of pubs with literary connections.  
He said you meet upstairs in The Duke pub on Duke Street. He also told me about a traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl that starts at Oliver St. John Gogarty's here at Temple Bar every night at 7:30! He said it was lots of craic or something, which I've heard a lot of people say here means fun and music."  
"Are you sure he wasn't trying to lure you somewhere to get high with him or something? Are there any other people going on these supposed tours, Betty? Sometimes you can be so trusting"  
She rolled her eyes at him, "Stop being so stuffy, Daniel. I already told you we could do the haunted castle thing tomorrow night that you want to do, depending on how long it takes us at the jewelry shop. This will be fun! Loosen up!"  
"You're telling me to loosen up? I guess I am a bad influence, Betty." he joked.  
They headed out on the first tour, which was the literary pub crawl. The actors were hilarious, imitating various Irish authors and adding their own characterizations. A lot of the wit was somewhat wasted on Daniel and Betty, however, due to the Irish accents. They tried to limit their alcoholic intake, and pace themselves.  
Daniel reminded her, "Hey, no getting drunk for you, young lady! You go around flashing and kissing guys randomly when you're drunk, remember?"  
She grinned, as she took a sip from her Guinness, "Well, I'm only having one drink, Daniel. Besides, I thought you said it was okay as long as I was with you so you would be the one I hit on if I get too tipsy!"  
He laughed, and took her hand down, to grab the rest of her drink,  
"Yeah, but we all know you like kissing guys in pubs, so maybe I'd better finish this for you, just in case."  
She leaned forward and kissed him rather deeply for public, "Wow, look at that! You were right, Daniel. Sorry, I guess I do need to watch how much I drink. Pubs just bring it out of me!"  
They thoroughly enjoyed their time on the tour and stayed to hear some of the music, even dancing before they got too tipsy and called for a cab back to their hotel.  
As they got on the elevator, he smiled, "So…did you have a good time, Betty?"  
She hicuped, and laughed at herself, "I guess that answers that, huh? Yep, it was fun. I like the stuff he said about Joyce and how he…"  
Daniel put his hands on either side of her against the wall of the elevator and kissed her. When he stepped away she looked at him, and smiled, "My hiccups are gone."  
"Works every time."  
"You were just trying to cue my hiccups?"  
"No, I was trying to get you to stop talking so much!" he laughed.  
She hit him on the chest, "Not funny, Daniel! I'm wondering what you did when you thought I talked to much before?"  
He shrugged, "Either tuned you out by thinking about other stuff or…maybe thought about kissing you."  
She ran her fingers down his shirt, "You thought about kissing me before?"  
He nodded, "Yeah, lots of times."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, sure, I wanted to shut you up lots of times!" he grinned.  
She hit him, harder this time, "Daniel! You're so mean!"  
He grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her close to him, looking down at her, he whispered, "I'm just kidding, I love hearing you talk. I could just drift off…listening to the sound of your voice for hours on end, Betty."  
She laughed, and pulled him down for a kiss, only to have an older couple get on the elevator with them. They broke apart quickly, but held hands.  
The lady smiled at them and asked, "So, are you two here tying the knot, then?"  
"NO!" they both said a little too enthusiastically, then laughed.  
"We're...just friends." Betty started, so used to saying it, then as she saw Daniel's expression, she quickly added, "Well, more than friends, but…we've been friends a long time and we just started dating recently, I mean."  
The woman nodded, seeming to understand. Daniel dropped her hand. As soon as the other couple got off, he ushered her to the room, silent. She looked at him, "Daniel, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean anything by that, I swear.  
I…I'm just so used to having to explain our relationship to people who always thought we were more than friends. I'm still a little dizzy from the beer, I guess. That's really strong stuff, even though I barely had one all night!"  
"Don't go blaming the alcohol again, Betty. You…that really hurt, you know? Is it so hard for you to imagine us together?"  
"No, of course not. You don't get it, Daniel. I never allowed myself to feel anything romantic for you for so long. You were my boss, and you were…you, the rich, handsome playboy that would never in a million years look at me like he looked at other girls.  
I didn't want to set myself up to get hurt. So I told myself when I first started working for you I would never fall in love with you, and that way I would never get my heart broken.”  
He nodded, noticing that she had watery eyes; he held her by her arms and said softly, stroking her hair, "I'm sorry you felt that way, Betty. I would never have hurt you."  
She looked at him sharply, "Really? What about the time you thought I had a crush on you, Daniel? You think that didn't hurt?"  
"You laughed at me. You made me feel stupid for even mentioning it. You didn't seem hurt at all. Besides, you couldn't wait to go running after dork-a-licious!"  
"Don't call him that! Why do you hate Henry so much?"  
"Because he hurt you. Several times. I was there, remember, Betty? I picked up the pieces. Then you did it again with stupid Hartley! You let him hurt you twice, too. You seemed to have no trouble letting other guys break your heart. Yet, I wasn't worth the effort, I guess."  
"What, you wanted me to give you the chance to break my heart, too? Because you would have, you know. If I had ever once let you know I might be interested, you would have broken it into tiny pieces. You were way too shallow to see me as anything but a buddy back then."  
"Maybe that was true when we first met or something, Betty. But I stopped acting like that well over a year ago. Especially after Molly died and you helped me through it. I would have…liked it if you had told me you felt . All those nights you stayed over and we feel asleep watching old movies and stuff.  
You think I didn't think about it? I did. But you were all in love with Rich Boy, so I knew I didn't have a shot. Plus, I just figured you never looked at me that way, so you'd just be offended. That's the only reason I never tried to tell you I…cared."  
"Rich Boy? You're calling Matt rich boy? What are you, then? Is this still about you wanting to go on the shuttle or whatever? That video you made was so stupid, so narcissistic. I can't believe you did that."  
"I know."  
"You do?"  
"Yes. I just figured, that must be what you were into. And all of a sudden, I didn't even have half our money, because of Connor. How was I supposed to compete? Then you saw me in that damn bunny outfit. That was so humiliating!"  
She stroked his face, "I loved you for doing that, Daniel. You were saving people's jobs. You weren't too proud to do that for your staff. That was one of the sweetest, sexiest things I've ever seen you do.  
Listen, we both know all the bad stuff about each other, the embarrassing stuff, the sexy stuff, the crazy, stupid things we've both done. So, we don't have anything to hide from one another.  
I also know that you still get weepy when you hear about someone dying from cancer, and you have to call your mom at least once a week, because you promised her back when you both thought Alex was dead.  
And I know about how much you helped Justin feel good about himself when he thought his own father had rejected him, maybe because you knew what it felt like to not live up to your father's expectations. But, you're so much better than your dad, Daniel. You're a kind, sweet, caring man…and I love you very much."  
He leaned his head against hers and whispered, "Yeah? Well, you're not so bad yourself, Betty. Thanks. I love you, too." He took her face in his hands and kissed her slowly at first, then as she responded, the kiss got deeper and more passionate.  
He pressed against her and pushed her against the wall. Before she quite knew what was happening, he had her skirt on the floor and was pulling at her shirt.  
She was somewhat surprised at how quickly he was moving, in every sense of the word. She pushed him away slightly, "Okay, whoa, slow down there, tiger!  
Wow! You're really good at this stuff, aren't you? I guess practice makes perfect, and you've definitely had lots of practice, I suppose."  
"Betty." He backed off an inch or two, "Sorry, I told you, you get me all crazy, babe. I can't help getting ahead of myself when I'm with you."  
She looked at him suspiciously, "If only I were actually the first woman you used that line on, Daniel." She pushed him away further. "In fact, it might be really nice if I were your first anything!  
I know for a fact that you told me you about making Ms. Reyes dessert in bed before, so…there goes your lie about me being the first woman you cooked for. You are so busted, mister. Did you think I wouldn't remember?"  
He looked at her with some amount of smugness, "And yet, it didn't seem to stop you from making all those yummy sounds that got me all kinds of crap from my mom."  
"I didn't hear you complaining."  
"I know! You're my first…um…" he thought for a minute.  
"Yes?" She folded her arms and tapped her foot, "You've got nothing, Meade. Admit it."  
"Hey, that's no fair. I'm older than you. I've got eleven years of extra time to account for, so it's not a fair comparison. Besides, firsts are overrated.  
What about the soul mate stuff? Doesn't that count? I mean, who really cares about firsts, anyway? You always send the first thing back.  
You never buy the first anything. You might remember it or something nostalgically. But you save the best for last. So, maybe you're not my first anything.  
But...you're my last and best…everything." He smiled, looking very pleased with himself, as he pulled her back towards him.  
She smiled, "Smooth, Daniel. Very smooth. You should write a book or something with all your lines. How do you possibly keep track? I swear…"  
He cut her off again to pull her in for a kiss, "Again, Betty…too much talking, babe. Less talking, more action. Lots more action." He picked her up and threw her on the bed.  
The next morning, Betty woke up first, and ordered them breakfast. She got back under the covers and crawled into his arms. Daniel stirred and smiled at her, "Top of the morning to you, there, lassie!"  
"Hey! I'm not a dog."  
"Isn't that what they call girls here…or is that Scotland? I get them mixed up. We should have gotten some kind of cheat sheet on phrases they use here from Christina or something."  
She nodded, "Yeah, I know. They talk so fast and I can't understand half of it, even when they don't! It's hard to believe it's basically still English! Oh, by the way, do you know I got some info on that castle we're going to tonight from the concierge…it was…"  
He rolled his eyes, and started tickling her, "Oh my God, Betty! I think I'm going to have to tie you up and gag you, girl!"  
She was laughing, "Daniel, stop! I was kidding. I just wanted to get you to kiss me."  
He held her down, "Well, whatever Betty wants, Betty gets…" he kissed her. Just as he started heading for her neck and sliding down the strap of her cami top, the buzzer rang. He looked up,  
"Are you expecting company? Please tell me you didn't tell some guy at the pub what hotel room you were in!"  
She giggled, "No, silly. It's room service. I decided to get YOU breakfast in bed. My treat."  
He rolled his eyes, "Betty, you're so silly. But sweet. You didn't need to do that, though. Thank goodness you didn't try to cook something. I might get sick!"  
"HEY!" She hit him on the chest, and ran to get the food.  
"Betty! Here, at least put this on. You don't want to give the guy a show." He threw her the robe that was on the side of the chair by the bed.  
After breakfast, they got dressed and headed to the jewelers for their appointment. The woman introduced herself and her husband. "Good marnin to ye both! I'm Mary and this is me husband, Patrick Finney. It's lovely ta make yer acquantaince!  
Ah, what a lovely couple ye are, too! Welcome. Ye are Mr. & Mrs. Meade, right? I did a bit a research when ye called before and I did actually find the records for this lovely piece. My da' was the one to do the work, before he went to heaven, rest his soul. It was done in 1969, actually. That was the year he did this particular casting. He did good work, if I do say so meself! Sure an it's lovely, isn't it?"  
She was looking over the set as Daniel had carefully handed it over to her.  
He thought a minute. "Wait, are you absolutely sure about that year? 1969? That…wow! Betty, oh my God! Do you know what that means? This couldn't possibly have anything to do with Fey Sommers. 1969 was the year my parents were married!" He seemed like a kid at Christmas, he was so happy. "Mrs. Finney, do your records actually say who ordered the set?"  
"Yes, Mr. Meade, they do indeed! They were ordered in July and picked up by one Claire Meade, on September 5th, 1969."  
"Wow, that's amazing that you still have records that detailed from so long ago."  
"Well, we're a very custom business. We don't do that much of a volume. Plus, me ma kept very meticulous records of da's work ever since 1948. She was a bit of a fuss budget, I'm afraid. Sure an they were very different souls to be sure, but they loved each other like all get out. You do know the celtic legend of the Soul Friend, don'cha?'  
He shook his head. "Betty just did some research and said she saw that the inscription was celtic and that it roughly translated to mean my soul mate."  
Well, technically, the Celtic term means "My Soul Friend"  
In Celtic spiritual tradition; it is believed that the soul radiates all about the physical body what some refer to as an aura. When you connect with another person and become completely open and trusting with that individual, your two souls begin to flow together.  
Should such a deep bond be formed, it is said you have found your "Anam Cara" or soul friend.  
Your "Anam Cara" always accepts you as you truly are, holding you in beauty and light. In order to appreciate your relationship, you must first recognize your own inner light and beauty. This is not always easy to do. The Celts believed that forming an "Anam Cara" friendship would help you to awaken your awareness of your own nature and experience the joys of others.  
The "Anam Cara" was originally someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies in your life. With the "Anam Cara", you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging.  
When you had an "Anam Cara", your friendship cut across all convention, morality and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the "friend of your soul". The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space on the other soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other.  
This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship. When you love, you open your life to an Other. All your barriers are down. Your protective distances collapse. This person is given absolute permission to come into the deepest temple of your spirit. This presence and life can become their ground. It takes great courage to let someone so close.  
Where a friendship recognizes itself as a gift, it will remain open to its own ground of blessing...When you are blessed with an "Anam Cara", the Irish believe, you have arrived at that most sacred place: home. This bond between friends is indissoluable.  
There's a poem by John O'Donohue from 'Amam Cara Wisdom from The Celtic World that says:  
"This, I say, is what is broken by no chances, what no interval of time or space can sever or destroy, and what even death itself cannot part"  
"That's so beautiful!" said Betty.  
"Aye!" Mrs. Finney said, "I know many people are not so lucky to find that kind of love in their whole lifetime a searchin'! If ye do, hold on to it, fer it's something really special ta be sure."

Chapter 15: Chapter 15 The Haunting

Chapter 15: The Haunting  
Disclaimer: Still don't own UB  
Betty came upstairs from the gift shop of the hotel. She heard the shower going and Daniel singing, rather loudly. She had to laugh, thinking how cute he was. She could tell now that he was singing "The Reason" by Hoobistank. She heard him singing, "I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be, a reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know, a reason for all that I do, and the reason is you, the reason is you."  
She debated joining him in the shower, but decided that would be a bit risqué for her. She had never done that with any of her other boyfriends before. Although Matt had done it to her once, but she didn't particularly like it when he had, because it sort of frightened her, actually it scared the crap out of her (she was such a baby, she had the whole psycho thing going on whenever she was alone in the shower).  
Honestly, in the back of her mind, she knew Daniel would most likely be more than happy to have her join him, but she was the one who was still a bit hesitant about such things.  
As much as she tried to fight it, some part of her just kept expecting Daniel to tell her how sorry he was for hurting her feelings but their whole romance had just been a joke, and Marc and Amanda would jump out, laughing at her.  
She imagined Amanda would say, "Oh, Bestie, you really thought Daniel loved you? Really? But how could he? I mean look at you, Betty! No offense, sweetie, but you're always going to be ugly! Didn't you realize that? We all thought you knew!" It was just like the incident with Jessie, only much worse…because it was Daniel.  
Betty was so lost in this sobering and somewhat dismal little daydream that she didn't see Daniel coming out of the shower and grabbing her from behind. "Boo!" She jumped and screamed, as he threw her on the bed, where she had been sitting and jumped on her, tickling her.  
"Sorry, I was just getting you ready for tonight in the scary church!"  
"Daniel! You're not wearing anything but a towel!"  
He looked puzzled, "Yeah, so? I just got out of the shower, Betty. Do you take showers with your clothes on? I don't think so, since I seem to remember you answering your door with nothing but a towel, which was very sexy, but made you completely impossible to resist, even though, believe it or not, I was still trying, despite what you might think."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, really! I told myself that morning I was going to just offer you the pastry and coffee and be all gentlemanly, take you out on a date that night, then be all suave and sophisticated, and hope you hadn't changed your mind again, but then, you answer the door dripping wet in a towel!  
I kind of figured, you were maybe trying to come onto me. I mean, all that sexy stuff you were saying the night before, on the phone, remember? You were all hot and bothered, I could tell.  
You were being very sexy, but you still were saying, 'oh, no, Daniel, I want you to come over, but you can't because we both know what would happen…God, you were driving me nuts, Betty! You can be such a tease!"  
"Was that high, squeaky voice supposed to be me?" She shook her head in disbelief, smiling.  
He shrugged, "Yeah. What? You have a very high voice. That's just what you sound like."  
She nodded, "Sure, whatever you say, Daniel. You have a very nice singing voice, by the way. You were holding out on me, at karaoke. You're actually really good."  
"Thank you. You heard that? Well, you know, not to brag, but I was actually in a rock band in junior high and a little bit of high school." He made the rock & roll sign.  
"Oh, really? Did you record any albums I might have heard of?" she giggled, trying to picture Daniel in a Steven Tyler type of outfit.  
He nodded, "Sure. We did a few gigs, man. We thought we were pretty cool. No, sorry, I can't really say that with a straight face, actually, we pretty much sucked, and mostly we were just a garage band, but it made us feel cool and got us a few 'groupies'."  
She shook her head, "Of course, you were only in it for the girls. I should have known! Um, Daniel, sorry, are you going to put some clothes on? I could leave the room so you can get dressed."  
"Or you could stay right where you are while I'm not dressed. What's your hurry, Betty? Why are you so nervous all of a sudden? You're acting like we just met or something. You can relax, I don't bite. Well, maybe your ear or your lip or something, if you like it, which I happen to know you do. Honey, chill…" he was trying to hold on to her wrist, as she was sitting up, attempting to get off the bed.  
Finally, she managed to get away from him, and stood up, "Daniel, I'm just afraid, okay? I keep picturing how uncomfortable you were back when Renee told you I had a crush on you and you freaked out at the thought. How could you go from being so…repulsed by me to all of a sudden being all turned on? How is that possible?  
I'm the same person, I'm still Betty. I haven't changed that much, you know. I'm just trying to understand how all of this happened so fast! I want to believe in it, in us…being soul mates, what that lady said was really awesome, but if all we will ever be is friends, I'm okay with that, too. I had kind of resigned myself to that role with you.  
Honestly, part of the reason I thought leaving New York was such a good idea was because I was jealous, of Trista and all the others like her. I knew I couldn't keep watching you going out with girls like that, who weren't nearly good enough for you, so I figured I'd be better off leaving.  
But I was wrong; I'd rather just be your friend than never see you again. When you ignored me and just let me leave New York, I was so sad, I thought I had been so selfish to want this job that I had lost my best friend and it made me just want to crawl in a hole somewhere."  
He looked like she had just told him she was an alien. He ran his hands through his hair, then grabber her hands, and took them in his, "You know I wish I could go back and re-do all that time, and actually be supportive like you deserved. I should have realized what I had in you a long time ago, you're right. But you know I love you now. You have changed, Betty, not just on the outside, but in how you have so much confidence in yourself more than anything physical.  
I know I'm really stupid because it took me so long to figure it out, to see what you were to me, how great you were when you were right there, all along, but I am sure of this, Betty. You mean everything to me.  
You and I are like that lady said; soul friends, but I didn't just get 'we're best buddies' from her speech, did you? I mean those things she said about when you connect with another person and become completely open and trusting with them, I think we already have that, and the part about having someone you confess to, we've been doing that for years.  
We have no secrets from one another and I have to say, I kind of like that. In fact, I really love having that with you. And the thing where she said all our barriers were down, your protective distances collapse… you know I feel that way about you, don't you?  
She said it takes great courage to let someone so close, and it means you've arrived at that most sacred place: home. Betty, you are my home, honey. That's why I had no trouble coming here, following after you. Home is wherever you are with me.  
I knew I might be making a complete ass out of myself if you didn't want me here, but I had to take that chance, because even an idiot like me, who took four years to see it, I finally got how lucky we are to have what we have. You're everything I am ever going to want or need, Betty.  
Do you have any idea how amazing you are? You make me…want to sing I'm so damn happy that I have you in my life. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world that you love me. You said you did, too, so you can't take it back you know. Look, I don't know where all this doubt or whatever is coming from, but I'm more convinced than ever that we are perfect for each other, Betty.  
That poem, the one that said no interval of time or space can sever or destroy, and what even death itself cannot part, don't you think that especially after Molly died, I've been worried I'd never find that? You saw what it did to me to lose her.  
You're the one who got me through it. But, I didn't really know Molly that long. I know you so well. If I ever lost you….they'd really have to put me in a straight jacket or something, because you're the one for me, Betty. All that annum cara, soul mate, or whatever you want to call it-you're it for me, girl."  
She had tears in her eyes, and she hugged him. "Oh my God, Daniel. I don't know what to say. That was so…sweet. You are…I'm speechless."  
He pushed her away just enough to look at her, and take her face in one hand, "Well, after four years, you mean I finally got you to shut up?"  
She shoved his shoulder, but then grabbed him and kissed him, pushing him down on the bed. "Mmmm hmmm."  
Later that day, they got up and strolled around town for a while. Their 'haunted tour' was of St. Michan's, a well-known parish church. Betty was looking at the brochure, reading to Daniel as he rolled his eyes. God, did the woman ever do anything besides read, he wondered?  
"Named after a Danish Bishop, for over five hundred years St. Michan's was the only parish church in Dublin north of the River Liffey. Founded around 1095 by a Danish colony, the current building dates from about 1685 and is definitely one of Dublin's most haunted locations. The organ in St. Michan's is one of the oldest in Ireland still in use and it's believed that George F. Handel played it when composing The Messiah."  
"Wow! That's really amazing! I love that-especially the Hallelujah Chorus! Did you see that flash mob video on You Tube in the mall somewhere in Canada where people were just sitting in the food court and all of a sudden, one girl started singing that, then another, and another, until there was like this whole, huge choir of people singing it? I got goose bumps! It was amazing!"  
Daniel nodded, "Yeah, I know! You showed it to me five times, Betty, remember? It was pretty cool. Listen to this;" he read,  
The vaults under this church contain thirty mummified bodies. Reached by a dark stone stairway, long narrow galleries containing coffins stretch before the visitor. Some are private and locked, others are open to view.  
Some of the coffins are seen scattered in a haphazard fashion, bursting at the seams with an arm or leg sticking up. The most notorious open gallery contains the gruesome remains of two women and two men, coffin lids flung off and the mummified bodies covered with dust and dirt.  
Three of the coffins lie in a row: a woman, a man with a hand and both feet cut off – two schools of thought for this mutilation, some say because he was a thief, others say it was done so the body would fit into the coffin, and a nun.  
The coffin along the rear wall is known as that of the Crusader. Once again, in order to fit into the coffin, his body has been cut in half. Also, one of his hands is lifted in the air. Voices, whispering and sounds of things being dragged across the floor have been heard. This is one of Dublin's most haunted places and not somewhere I would visit on my own."  
Betty made a face, "Ew! And you want to see this? That's so gross, Daniel! What could the poor nun have done that was so terrible? She was a nun! That's awful! I don't know if I want to hear things being dragged on the floor, or voices whispering. You know my papi was always trying to scare us on Halloween and it never bothered me, because I knew it wasn't real. But this place does really give me the creeps! You and your scary stuff! What is the big fascination men have with all this, anyway?"  
He put his arm around her, "Well, I don't know about other guys, but for me, part of it is the chance to scare the pants off you!" he laughed, putting his head against hers, and touching her cheek.  
"Oh, ha, ha, Daniel. Very funny! Not in this place! I'm not really feeling very romantic here at all! Just…scared."  
He squeezed his arm tight around her shoulders, "It's okay, honey. I'll protect you."  
She rolled her eyes, "Right. Who's going to protect you? You're not filling me with such confidence. No offense, Daniel, but I've seen you fight and you're not that tough!"  
"Thanks! You're so sweet!" he laughed.  
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bruise your ego, but…I kind of wish Bobby was here."  
"Bobby? You mean your brother-in-law Bobby? Why? Oh, because he's from Queens, so he's tough or something? Doesn't he wear the leather jacket and jeans a lot? I could do that, if you're so into it, Betty."  
She laughed, "Leave it to you to make it about the fashion! It's not what he wears, Daniel. It's…I don't know, I guess the Queens thing does sort of help. But, he's just always had this tough guy personality. That time he took me on a driving lesson and the guy walked in front of the car and yelled at me, he had his face up against the window and made the guy apologize to me. It was sort of exciting!"  
He looked hurt, "I see. You've got a big crush on your sister's new husband, huh?"  
"What! No! I didn't mean it like that, Daniel. I just meant he is the kind of guy that is sort of the tough kind that makes you feel safe, that's all."  
"Okay, I get it. You don't think I can protect you at all. You'd rather be with some bad boy type. That's always what you girls go for. That's why I always lost a lot of women to Becks about. He's got way more of that edge or whatever, since he travels a lot and sleeps in tents."  
"Yeah, I guess it's just kind of like a testosterone thing…like you can't tame the guy, because he's so animalistic or something. Becks does sort of have that a little, too, I guess, you're right."  
Daniel took his arm off her completely now. "I see."  
She looked at him, "Daniel. I'm sorry. I was just making a general statement. It doesn't mean I like Bobby or Becks, especially. They may have a little more…edge than you, but they're also both kind of jerks to me. Well, Bobby's gotten a little better, but he's still all full of himself and calls me chipmunk all the time, pinching me cheeks like I was five or something and thinks I still have a crush on him like I did when I was twelve."  
"Well, clearly you do! You told me you kissed him and you had some fantasy about ripping his clothes off or something."  
"His shirt…not all his clothes, and it was stupid. It was just because I was tired of being perceived as miss nerd who plays it safe with everything, including guys, that's all. It really was never about him, personally. Like I said, he's always treated me like a child. I'll always just be Hilda's kid sister to him."  
"You still didn't say you didn't like HIM. How would you feel if he did treat you like a grown woman? You'd probably be all into him, then, because he was mister tough guy, right, Betty?"  
"Daniel, I don't know what you want me to say. He's tough. ...that's true. But, I'll tell you one thing. He's not-well, you. You think you're the only one who really got that annum cara thing, Daniel? It touched me, too. I really felt like she was talking about us. I can't imagine ever feeling that way about anyone else. Ever. You're being here with me has made me not feel homesick, I think. You're my home, too."  
She intertwined her hand in his and held them up. "See? We …fit. We always have, Daniel."  
He smiled and leaned down, "You're not going to say I complete you or something cheesy like that, are you, Betty?"  
She laughed, "No, but…high five?" she held up one hand for him to slap, which he did, shaking his head.  
"Really romantic!"  
"Hey, you're the dork who started it, not me."  
"You're the dork!"  
Suddenly, Betty shivered. "Did you feel a draft?" She looked around and didn't see the rest of their tour group. "Where did everybody go?"  
He shook his head, and tried to see ahead. "It's really dark in this section. Hey, there's the stairway. The tour is supposed to go through this section, so maybe if we take it, we'll be able to catch up with the group."  
"I don't know. That's also where some of the coffins are. I don't really want to see those."  
He grabbed her hand, "Come on, Betty. Where's your sense of adventure? That is what we came for, right? I'll tell you what, pretend you're with Bobby…maybe you won't be so scared, chipmunk!" he teased.  
"Not you, too! Don't you start calling me that, Daniel! I hate that nickname! I should have never told you that!"  
"I'm just kidding, Betty. Come on, step up here, I'm right behind you."  
"Hands off ass, Daniel. I don't need you pushing me, thank you."  
"I wasn't pushing."  
"Well, I don't need you grabbing my ass, either, and why are you behind me? Why do I have to go first up this scary staircase? You're the guy, why don't YOU go first?"  
"Because then I wouldn't get to check out your nice ass, Betty." He grinned.  
She turned around and frowned at him, hitting his shoulder hard.  
"Stop being such a goof. I thought you were supposed to protect me or something. You can't protect me if you're staring at my butt."  
"I can't help it; your cute butt distracted me from protecting you."  
"You're useless to me." she sighed, continuing to follow the long corridor.  
"That's not what you said last night…or this morning."  
"Shut up! Not everything is about sex, you perv. I need a real man!"  
"Okay, stand aside, woman. I'll go ahead of you and you can grab my ass for a while. Go ahead; it'll calm your nerves, so you're not so scared. It's okay. I don't mind. You know you want to."  
"Daniel! Be serious! I'm really freaked out in this place! I'm not in the mood to play…grab ass or whatever with you here."  
She turned him around and pushed him to keep going. She accidentally pushed him onto something hard on the ground.  
"OW! Betty! What are you doing? You knocked me into something. Shit! Whoa!" He boosted himself up quickly, but had twisted his ankle slightly and had to limp a little.  
"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't see that. What did you trip over?"  
"A skeleton, I think. It must have been one of the mummies they talked about, because I didn't see a hand."  
"Eww! Gross! I'm so going to take a long bath when we get out of this place. It's so dusty down here."  
"Yeah? Can I join you?"  
"What? Oh, I don't know. You…like that? I almost came into the shower this morning when I heard you singing, you sounded so cute."  
"Kinky! Why didn't you? I would have like that a lot!"  
"I don't know. I just felt strange doing that to you. I mean, I don't usually take showers with men."  
"Well, I hope not. But…what about men you're dating?"  
"NO! I mean, well. Maybe once, but it wasn't really my idea."  
"Let me guess, Hartley?"  
"You know, I really think we need to go back to that don't ask, don't tell thing. Do you always have to say the guys' names? That's not exactly fair, Daniel. You don't even remember the girls names you slept with half the time."  
He put his hand up in surrender, "Okay, sorry! I'll pretend I don't know that Matt came into the shower with you. I don't really want to know, anyway, thank you."  
"See, now you're acting all jealous. Not fair, I can't be that jealous of contestant number five hundred and twenty, faceless, nameless toothpick model and whatever kinky stuff you did with her! Because you don't even remember."  
"Exactly! Betty, don't you see? The fact that the women I was with all sort of blend in means that they didn't connect with me in anyway."  
"Except physically. Which does count, Daniel. I'm sorry to break it to you. Maybe you don't think it does, but to me, it does. It's not something to take lightly to have sex with another person. It's personal, it's intimate. You should care about them. Know them, love them even."  
He stopped and turned around, facing her, "I know that, Betty. I get it, now. It just took a very long time for me to finally understand that. I think I had to be in love before I knew what they actually meant with the whole 'making love' thing. Because there is definitely a huge difference, you're right. It means something when you're with someone you really do love."  
He held up their hands, still joined, "I know I never had what we have before, Betty. I still can't believe I'm so lucky that you want me, too."  
She smiled and hugged him, whispering, "Daniel. I understand what you're saying, and it's sweet, but…can we hurry and get out of here? I feel like I'm in Dr. Frankenstein's dungeon or something."  
He laughed, and squeezed her hand, pulling her along the dark, corridor. After several minutes, he held up his other hand and signaled her to stop.  
"Do you hear voices?"  
She cringed, grabbing his shoulder, "What the creepy ghost voices?"  
He shook his head, "No, I mean real human voices. Like our tour group maybe? Listen."  
They were both still. Finally, Daniel called out, "Hey! Is anybody there?"  
She grabbed his arm, holding tightly, "Don't! It might be a ghost or something!"  
He looked down at her, "You don't really believe in ghosts, do you, Betty?"  
She looked up, full of fear, "I don't know! Maybe…in here, anyway. Wait, I hear someone."  
"I thought you didn't want to hear ghosts or whatever. It might me the boogey man! Coming to get you!" he tickled her side.  
"Daniel! Not now! Stop! I mean it. That's so not funny, right now!  
They heard a loud bang that made Betty jump, grabbing Daniel's chest and putting her head down into it. He held her against him. "It's okay, Betty. It scared me, too. I think it's just the group, shutting a door or something. Come on, I see a light. We're probably getting close to the exit now. It's okay. I've got you." He squeezed her and led her down the hall into an area that was letting in some light ahead. Down a shaft of light, they could see the main exit and several people walking around.  
Everyone looked up when they came in to the room, "Where were you two? We were afraid you got off the main path and into the burial room. You didn't actually see any of the mummies, did you?" One of the young men asked.  
"Well, actually, yeah. I tripped on one without a hand. I didn't see the hand. But it was really dark."  
"Did you feel how creepy it was in there?" a middle-aged woman, with her younger son looked frightened.  
Daniel shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I was fine, though. I had my girl with me, so I was distracted, I guess. I didn't really think it was all that scary. But I don't think she liked it much." Daniel smiled at the woman briefly, then looked down at Betty, and stroked her hair.  
"Not really. Sorry, Daniel. I know you like this stuff. But, it's not for me. But you went to a lot of cultural stuff I like yesterday, so I figured it was your turn to do what you like."  
"Well, thank you, that was very thoughtful. Now I'd really like to go talk about that bath you mentioned."  
"Daniel!"  
"What?"  
"Aren't you still creeped out at all?"  
"No. But you know what, Betty?"  
"What?"  
"I realized that you might not think you depend on me or that I'm all that tough or whatever, but you were sure holding on tight to me today. I kind of liked it; feeling like you were expecting me to take care of you. It felt really good to feel responsible for your well-being, you know? To know that you trusted me to help you."  
She smiled, "I always know you're going to watch out for me, Daniel. You don't have to be a tough guy. You still take care of me. I know that. I like it, too. You did make me feel safe."  
"Well, I don't know about that. You still seemed awfully scared."  
"That's because I was. It was haunted down there, I think. I swore I felt something on my neck, like wind or something."  
He reached around and touched her hair by her ear, "Like that?"  
She swatted him away, "Yes! Was that you?"  
He grinned, "Maybe! Did it turn you on, baby?"  
"No! It scared me! Very funny, Daniel. You were the one doing that the whole time? You jerk!"  
As they came out into the night, Daniel hailed a cab. Once in the backseat, he leaned over and kissed her neck, "Are you afraid of vampires, too, or is it just ghosts?"

Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Sweet Nothings

Chapter 16: Sweet Nothings  
"Betty? Do you know what you want?"  
They had already eaten their main courses and were debating over the dessert selection. She had gotten much more comfortable eating at these five star restaurants that Daniel insisted on taking her and felt much less out of place. "I think I'll try the cheese selection. I'm not feeling up to anything that sweet tonight."  
"That's unusual for you, but I think I'll go ahead and try the chocolate tart. We'll switch tonight. Thanks."  
As soon as the waiter had left, Betty looked at him, somewhat hesitantly, "Daniel, have you decided what you're going to tell your mom about the wine set? Are you going to ask her about the flat?"  
"Yeah, you know, she mentioned a place she and Dad owned that he told her he sold in the seventies. I'm wondering if that's the place I'm at and he told Mom he sold it but secretly kept it to meet with Fey or something. But I'm still a little afraid to mention it to Mom. She's been doing so well, I really don't want to get her so upset that she..."  
She shuddered, "I just can't imagine how your dad was able to live with himself and look your mom in the eye with all his affairs."  
"I can't either. Look, I might as well tell you this, Betty, because...well, I'm actually hoping you're thinking along the same lines as I am about us. I wouldn't blame you if you were nervous about having a relationship with me.  
I mean, God knows, you've seen me at my worst. I haven't exactly been a choir boy since you met me. And plus...with all the stuff you know about my dad, how I was raised, with a womanizer for a father and an alcoholic mother."  
"Daniel, I'm not one to judge anyone. Besides, I love your mom. Nobody's perfect."  
"That's really sweet of you to say, Betty. I know my mom had her reasons for turning to drink and she really regrets it now, especially considering the problems Tyler's had, too. I think she sometimes has worried if I drink too much or Alexis, since it's hereditary."  
Betty nodded and placed her hand on his on the table. "I know you're afraid to ask your mom about the townhouse, Daniel, but the longer you stay there and don't tell her about it, it's just going to make things harder for everyone, especially you. You can't keep lying to her or avoiding the subject. And no offense, but you can't stay with me again."  
"Really? Why not? I kind of liked it, at least the first night and next morning."  
"That's exactly why, Daniel. You and your...seducing me, I'd never get any work done and you'd never find a job if you stayed with me. It would be too distracting for both of us." she smiled, blushing.  
He rolled his eyes, somewhat frustrated, "Betty, I told you, I have four interviews lined up for next week. You are such a nag sometimes! You know I have half a mind to go ahead and apply at Dunne as your assistant, just to bug you."  
"Well, don't even think about it if you think you're getting what you said you wanted instead of pay! I could only imaging submitting that kind of salary demand to our HR department!"  
He laughed, "I was kidding, Betty! Obviously...well, maybe I was a little bit frustrated at the time, too, but...I wouldn't actually try to demand sex instead of pay. Although, if you're offering, maybe as a bonus incentive, I might still consider it!" he ran his hand up her back.  
She laughed at him, in spite of herself, "I think that would have to be a private, under the table kind of arrangement. I wouldn't want to have it be part of your written contract."  
"Hmmm...under the table? Sounds like fun!"  
She put up her hand and shook her head to let him know she wasn't serious, "Again, I was only joking, Daniel. As much fun as that does actually sound like to me, too, I think you would be just too darn distracting for me to ever get anything accomplished.  
I don't know if working together is really such a good idea right now when we're just getting to know each other as 'more than friends.' We're both a little too...pre-occupied and...um..."  
"Hot for each other?" he grinned.  
"Well, yeah." she blushed, as he took her hand and kissed it.  
"I guess. I could go for a little more on your part like when you FINALLY jumped me this morning, after I had to practically propose to you."  
"You did not...have to...do that. But I admit, what you said, remembering all the stuff about soul mates was really, really sweet, Daniel. I want you to know, I feel that way about you, too. I guess I'm still just so happily surprised that you really do..."  
"Love you?" he leaned across the table and kissed her, holding his hand behind her head.  
"Wow...I mean, yeah." She blinked, somewhat taken by surprise.  
"You know...some girls might actually be inclined to reciprocate the emotion, Betty. Not that I'm trying to pressure you, but you know they say if you do actually love someone you should definitely let them know."  
"I can understand that. You want them to know, because...well, they just deserve to hear it, if you really feel that way about them, and that way, neither of you has any regrets over not saying something that you felt about...someone."  
He was rolling his eyes, and grinning, "You know, I could wait till we're alone, if you're too shy to say it in public or something, Betty. I guess I've just never been shy."  
"That's for sure!" They both laughed. He still seemed to be waiting, but their food came just as she burst out, "I love you, too, Daniel! I'm crazy in love with you. I love you so much, I want to..." she looked as she realized suddenly they weren't alone and turned bright crimson. The waiter discreetly left, leaving Betty with her eyes bulging, and her cheeks still red with embarrassment.  
"God, I didn't even see him until he was right there. That's so embarrassing!"  
He smiled gently and took her hand, "I don't think so. I liked hearing you say that very much, Betty. I know you aren't the kind of girl to take it lightly, so it means even more to me that you feel that way about me. I want you to know, I'm nothing like my Dad, if that's giving you any cause for concern.  
I have only really had three relationships that I considered serious, and I can honestly say I was faithful in all of them. I know the other stuff, all the running around and one night stands don't say much for my character, but then again, I wasn't in love with you then, either.  
I can't even imagine being with anyone else, Betty. I don't want anyone but you...and that's not just tonight, or next week, or next year, even. I'm not trying to scare you off with forever talk here, but...that is where my mind wants to go." He gently brushed a strand of hair off her face.  
"Daniel, I..."  
He put his hand up, "I know, like I said, I'm not trying to freak you out or anything. I mean, it's not like we've been dating long term or anything. But, on the other hand, it's hardly like we're strangers, either, Betty. I'm crazy in love with you, too." He kissed her cheek.  
"Now, let's finish eating, and then, maybe we'll go back to the hotel room and take that nice, long shower together, since I drug you here without letting you change because I was so hungry. Actually, I just wanted to eat and go back to the hotel as soon as possible, and once we were back in the room, I didn't want to go back out!"  
He started attacking his food, as Betty smiled at his comment. After a few minutes, she looked at his dish and asked, "So, do I get a bite?"  
He made a face, "Hey, you said you didn't want anything sweet. This is mine. Eat you're own."  
"You're really not going to share?" she whined.  
"Here." he fed her a bite, which she took her time chewing slowly. As he watched her, he started smiling, until he leaned over and crooked his finger to her to come next to his face. "Sexy mouth."  
She laughed and said, "The better to kiss you with." and pulled him forward for a very slow, long kiss.  
As they parted, after several minutes, he said, "Hmmm...I think I like the chocolate even better when it's on your lips. That's the missing ingredient that makes it irrisistable. Just like you."  
"Smooth talker."  
"You know it." he grinned. "Now...let's get the check and get the hell out of here. I really need to get you out of those clothes."  
"Oh, really? Daniel, really...are these your best lines?"  
"Will you shut up? Do you always have to bust my chops?"  
"Well, I told you, I don't like to be played, Daniel. You're not like Becks. He's just always going to be that sleazy guy and working the cute little bad boy thing. That sort of works, well, who are we kidding, it works great for him, cause he's hot or whatever. But that lost boy thing doesn't work for you anymore, not because you're not hot, too, but because you don't need angles or pickup lines anymore, Daniel.  
You've...got me. I mean, if you say half of what you said this morning about how I feel like home and you took a chance on me, and all that stuff...well, not to sound too New York, but forget about it...I'm naked on the floor, or wherever you want me, stud." she laughed, but quickly put her hand to her face as the waiter returned with Daniel's credit card. "Thank you, sir. You have a pleasant evening."  
"Thanks, I think I will." as soon as the waiter left, Daniel laughed, "What good timing you have, Miss Suarez! Come on, let's get out of here, before you decide to do me on the table just as an Irish priest is walking by or something."  
She nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with the waiter as they left.  
They got to the hotel room at The Merrion, kissing and laughing. Daniel kept teasing her over her inappropriate comments at the restaurant. "I swear, I can't take you anywhere. I think from now on, when we go someplace, we'll just stay in the hotel room and order room service, that way, you won't embarrass yourself, Betty."  
"I didn't embarrass you?"  
He shrugged, "Did I look embarrassed?"  
"I guess not. I couldn't tell. I was too busy being mortified."  
"Yep. And you're still cute as hell when you are, sweety." He pulled her close and pulled her into a deep kiss. She surprised him, by pushing him backwards as they were kissing.  
He finally looked down at her, "Where are you leading me?"  
She put both her hands on the sides of his face, "Shower. I've got to face my fears head on."  
"Yep. I'll be happy to help you with that, missy." He started unfastening the buttons on her shirt, then unzipping her pants.  
She took off his shirt and pants, as well. He stood still as she finished undressing, then took off his boxers, and stepped into the shower, pulling him in with her slowly.  
He smiled, "See, you're already doing way better at this than you thought you would. Now, hold still, or at least try to while I clean you from top to bottom, girlie."  
She giggled, "Do you really want me to hold still?"  
He shrugged, "Maybe not actually still. Just don't go anywhere."  
"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere, Daniel. There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you right now."

Later, as they lay in bed, draped in the sheets, with his arm around her, Daniel played with her hand in his, "You know, I think I still owe you some romance time, Betty. I feel guilty keeping someone so beautiful all to my self so much.  
Although, believe me, I'm definitely NOT complaining. But, are there some romantic places in London you'd like to go to when we get back home? Just give me your list and we'll hit em all, okay? I'm actually looking forward to showing you off. We could go dancing, you like that, and do some more karaoke, maybe go see a Shakespeare play...some Broadway shows or something. I guess they still call it broadway here. I'm not sure.  
Do you know I was totally giving that Gio guy the evil eye when he took you to see Wicked that time. I was really wishing I was the one there with you. But...you had Henry wanting to go with you, obviously Gio, and me, too. Quite the little heartbreaker, Miss Suarez."  
She put her hand on his mouth, "Now look who won't shut up? You are really cute, you know that? And by the way, I'm sorry if I made you feel like you weren't enough of a tough guy or whatever. Your're perfect...for me. I love you. Hey, what do you know, no waiters to make me feel shy anymore. But I would still say it, anyway. I'm not embarrassed to tell you, I love you-very much. You've made me so happy.  
All the stuff we went through with Wilhelmina and Marc and the drama at Mode, it was worth it, if I got to be with you, Daniel. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. But, I'm really glad we're more than friends now. This is my favorite part of our relationship. I hope you're right about the...forever thing. That sounds like about the right amount of time to be together with you."  
"Oh, yeah? That's good to know, soul mate." he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, looking at her hand. "Good to know."

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 New Beginnings

Chapter 17: New Beginnings  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
Okay, spoiler all the sexy stuff is at the beginning. So, if you aren't into it, you can read the rest, or if that's ALL you're into, shame on you! No, JK, just be warned.  
Betty came out of the shower, walking quietly. She was surprised that Daniel was already awake. She had thought he was sleeping. In fact, he was sitting up, watching her come out of the bathroom.  
"Are you going to do anything about this?" He looked at Betty, as she watched him, smiling.  
"Excuse me? What exactly did you have in mind, Daniel?" she laughed as he tried to move her hand southward.  
"Well, it's totally your fault, so…you could at least help me out here, sweetie."  
"Shut up. That is not my fault. I didn't say anything to you; all I did was walk in the room from taking a shower. You, Mister Meade are the one who's a total perv."  
"Oh, really, Betty? You walk in here dripping wet and naked and I'm a perv for getting excited about it? I think you were just trying to turn me on and now you're making fun of me when you were deliberately teasing me again, just like you do all the time."  
"When have I teased you other than that one time on the phone? Which shouldn't really count. I wasn't really teasing you. I was trying to come to terms with my feelings, Daniel. I didn't mean to tease you, really."  
"Please, you did it all the time! What about the first night we went out when you were doing all the sexy chocolate eating and getting drunk and hanging all over me? That wasn't being a tease, I suppose? Betty, you totally came onto me.  
You asked me if I wanted to... I'd say that's pretty much of a come on. Then to make it worse, you tell me later you wouldn't have even cared if I had taken you up on your little offer? That was just cruel, woman."  
"Well, I was drunk! I didn't know what I was doing. And what exactly is 'sexy chocolate eating' anyway? You're going to have to show me that sometime. It sounds very interesting."  
"You were drunk? That seems to be your excuse for everything, Betty. Are you sure you don't have a drinking problem?" He pulled her towards his side of the bed and tugged playfully at her towel, as she held onto it tightly. "You haven't kissed any other guys and left them panting after you when you got plastered, have you?"  
"Panting? The guy was actually panting? Hmmm…. maybe I need to look this guy up. I think I'd like to see the kind of guy that I could get to pant. What did you say his name was again?" she teased.  
"I didn't and don't get any ideas, Miss Suarez. I'll pant for you right now. Come here, girl. I'll make you pant, too. We can do it together."  
He grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards him and down for a kiss. She giggled and finally let him pull her on top of him. She looked down at him and smiled, touching his cheek.  
"Hi, there." She said as he held her around her waist.  
"Hi, yourself, sexy. See, isn't this better than standing around dripping on me? Let me spin you dry." He rolled her over to the other side of the bed so that he was on top of her, still with his arms around her. She slipped under the covers.  
"You know how beautiful you are? You actually take my breath away. When did you get so gorgeous, Betty?"  
She blushed. "I don't know what to say to that, Daniel. Thank you. I guess the glasses or something? Or the braces, maybe. My smile is better now, I guess."  
He looked down at her, stroking her hair and looking in her eyes, "I'm not talking about all that. I mean, it's like you are glowing or something. Yes, your face is gorgeous, and your body is very sexy, but it's more than just that. I think you've gotten even more beautiful because I'm in love with you. You know what I mean?  
It's like how someone like Wilhelmina can look almost attractive when you first meet her until you get to know what a bitch she really is and she gets sort of ugly. Well, with you, it was the opposite. The more I've gotten to know you, the more stunning you've gotten, because I know what a wonderful person you are, inside and out."  
"Are you trying to score, or something?" She smiled up at him.  
"No, I'm not. What makes you say that? I'm serious, Betty." He looked somewhat hurt.  
"Really? Um…I might have an easier time believing you, if you weren't currently lying on top of me, Daniel."  
He looked down at her and seemed to have just noticed his own position. "Oh. Yeah." He shrugged, and grinned, "Well? How'd I do? You've got to admit, that was pretty good stuff. I mean, it was true, though. I did really mean it, Betty. You are really beautiful, baby."  
She blushed, "I like it when you call me baby."  
He motioned to the blanket between them, "Enough to let me under the covers with you?"  
"I was cold. Since I'm only wearing a towel."  
"Yeah, I can see that. So…let me warm you up, baby." He said suggestively.  
She smiled, and held the covers back for him. "Okay. I guess I could let you do that, Daniel."  
The next morning, they hurried to get dressed and get to their flight. Betty had a late meeting she needed to get to that day and Daniel had a job interview scheduled for that afternoon. When she left from the airport to take a cab to her office, Betty looked down at their hands, which were together,  
"Thanks for letting me come with you on your little adventure, Daniel. I had a great time. Let me know how things go when you talk to your mom tonight and with your interview this afternoon."  
"Thank you for coming with me to Ireland, Betty. I had a really amazing time with you. I love you." He put her hair behind her ear and kissed her briefly.  
She blushed and looked down, "I...love you, too, Daniel. Thank you for saying that."  
He laughed, "You don't have to thank me for loving you, sweetie. It's just how I feel. I'll miss you. It was nice being with you all weekend. Especially the showering and sleeping together part."  
She blushed again, "Daniel!"  
"What? You didn't like it? You seemed to be agreeing with me again an awful lot. By the way, can I see you tonight?"  
"See me? Like a date, you mean?" She looked up shyly.  
"Well, mainly I wanted sex, but yeah, we could go out first, I guess." he grinned.  
"I'll go out with you, but...just out to dinner. We don't need to...do that every night, Daniel. That's what I meant when I said it wouldn't work out with you living with me. We have to get some work done..."  
"I don't know, Betty. I thought I was working pretty hard to get the job done..."  
She hit him on the chest and pushed away slightly, "Daniel, stop! You know you're very charming and all, but you and I both know you do this to avoid doing things you don't want to do, like call your mom and talk to her and really crack down and decide on what kind of career you want.  
Jobs don't just fall out of the sky for most people. You're going to really have to work hard to find something if you aren't using your name, you know. As much as I enjoyed the...sleeping together, too, Daniel, I'm not going to let you use me as some kind of distraction for you to get out of doing things you don't want to do."  
He was grinning like an idiot as he grabbed her around the waist. "All I heard was how much you enjoyed sleeping together, Betty. Me, too, by the way, sweetie. Very much. You are nothing like I ever imagined."  
She looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed, "I'm sure I'll regret asking this, Daneil, but what does THAT mean, I'm nothing like you imagined? First of all, do I dare ask just how much imagining has been going on?"  
He laughed, "Well...let's see, I've known you for four years. Subtract the first year, when I seriously doubted you were over twenty-one, what with the braces and the Little Mermaid sheets and the uh...interesting fashion ensembles...so, I'd say pretty much at least two or three times a week for the past three years,  
I've at least thought about what you might be like. Especially once I saw you were definitely over twenty-one and kind of kinky. Then I just tried not to picture you naked when you were talking to me about boring stuff." He grinned, impishly.  
"What! Are you kidding me? What boring stuff?"  
"I don't know. Silly stuff like you said in Ireland, all the blah, blah, blah stuff that I didn't need to hear. Back in New York, I just usually tuned you out and tried to picture you naked."  
"You're really...sick, Daniel. I can't believe you do that!" She seemed shocked.  
"I've got news for you, Betty. I'm definitely not the only guy who does that. Yes, I admit I've got a little bit of sex addict still in me, I suppose. But, honestly, lots of guys do the same thing, honey. We're all a bunch of pervs. You mean to tell me, Miss prim and proper, you've never fantasized about me?"  
"No."  
"No you haven't or no you can't tell me you haven't because you actually have?"  
She put her head down slightly, "The second one, I guess."  
He smiled, "See? It's all good, sweetie. I just meant you are like so much hotter than I ever could have imagined. I do know what you mean about me procrastinating sometimes, though. I want you to know, I already called Mom and asked her about the Annum Cara stuff.  
She said it was something her and Dad found out about when they were here back in the late sixties. The decanter and goblets belonged to her and Dad. I mean, she gave them to my dad. But she thought they had been lost or something. So, clearly Dad is the one who couldn't bring himself to get rid of them."  
"Yes, but did you ask her about your place?"  
"Well, no. Not yet."  
"Daniel! You need to do it. You're not staying with me, again, if your mom decides to visit and I'm not going to come over there all the time because you're 'lonely' or scared of Fey's ghost or whatever."  
"So, you're not coming to my place and I'm not allowed to go to yours, either? How is that supposed to work, Betty? I mean, I know I told you we'd go out and I still want to, but does that include a hotel every night or something? I'm confused as to what you are envisioning for us."  
"What I'm envisioning is for us to slow things down, Daniel. I know we...did stuff in Ireland a lot, but that was on vacation and we were kind of just having fun, I guess. But we can't do that every night! I'm not spending the night with you during the week when I have work and you won't be able to look for a job if you come over to my place all the time."  
"Okay, so we only get to have sex on the weekends, then? Well, that's no fun, Betty!" he pouted.  
She giggled, "Stop already with the pouting little boy routine, Daniel. You're not a little kid." She sighed, seeing him looking at her with his sad eyes, "I suppose...I could let you stay at my place tonight, since you have your interview this afternoon and neither of us have anything going on early tomorrow morning...but this is a one-time exception, Daniel, not the rule, okay? And you'd better take me out someplace really nice tonight."  
"Before I even get a job?" he teased.  
"Please, Daniel. We both know you're rich. You can afford it. Besides, maybe if I make you spend more of your money by not letting you just keep me inside for sex all the time you'll have to get a job sooner to pay for the nights out."  
"Betty, not to brag or anything, honey, but I am pretty well off. It would take a really long time. Especially since I know what a bargain shopper you are. Your idea of spending a lot of my money wouldn't put me in the poor house for twenty years or so at least.  
But that's fine...we can do things that way. I don't even mind keeping my money and just keeping you to myself. I can be thrifty. We'll just live on take out and sex." he grinned.  
She hit his arm and rolled her eyes at him, "Daniel! What am I going to do with you?"  
He leaned over and whispered, "Ummm...let's see. Do you want some suggestions?"  
"NO!"  
She got out and headed off to work, while Daniel went home and prepared for his interview.  
Betty kept finding herself distracted at work. She met with several advertisers and tried to get some stories edited before she finally decided she needed a break. She talked to some of her staff and made sure everyone had plenty to keep them busy.  
Since she had gotten in an hour late, she had worked through lunch. So, she left early, to go home and get ready for her date. She knew Daniel should have had his first interview at two, so she called him to see how things went.  
"So? How do you think you did, Daniel? Did they seem to like you?"  
"Wow, I guess so. It's hard to tell. I know it's pathetic, but that was actually my first interview. Sad, isn't it?"  
"Well, kind of, considering you're thirty-seven years old, Daniel."  
"Thanks, Betty. I can always count on your heartwarming pep talks to cheer me up!"  
"No, but it makes sense, you went to college, then traveled, then I don't know...chased girls or something? Then, worked for your dad, so...yeah. Wow, what did you say?"  
"Well, I managed to make my life sound a little less self-indulgent than that lovely little forensic break down, thank you, Miss Suarez!"  
"Mainly, I stressed the travel stuff, and that I worked in my family business. I mean, just because I'm not necessarily trading on my name, I still sort of have to use it to some degree to justify what I've been doing with my life up till now, you know?"  
"Of course, that's understandable. So, did you get along with the interviewer?"  
"Yeah, she was pretty nice. I think it went okay. They're going to let me know by the end of the week."  
"She? Please tell me you didn't hit on the person who interviewed you, Daniel? You do know that's usually frowned on, right?"  
"Give me some credit, Betty. No, I did NOT hit on her. I didn't even flirt with her at all. Actually, I mentioned you. I sort of think she was all charmed by the nice stuff I said about my new girlfriend moving here for her job and how I wanted to be a better man to impress you."  
"Oh, that's brilliant, Daniel. That was really good thinking on your part. Women eat that stuff up. Romantic guys gushing over their new girlfriends are sure-fire winners over sleazy guys trying to hit on every thing in a skirt. Did she giggle?"  
"What?"  
"Did she?"  
"Yeah, kind of, I guess. Why? What does that prove?"  
"Well, if she is the one who actually does the hiring, I'd say you've got a good shot. That was really smart, Daniel. Good work, honey."  
"Honey?"  
"Sorry."  
"No, I like it. I just don't think I've heard you use any pet names for me, yet, Betty. Well, at least not unless we were...you know."  
"Daniel!"  
"What? Okay, now I'm not allowed to even TALK about having sex? You are such a fuddy duddy sometimes, Betty."  
"I am not!"  
"Yes, you are. I mean, when you're good...when you're into it...definitely. But you just need to loosen up and enjoy yourself more, HONEY."  
She giggled, "Okay. Well, I got off early from work, so you can bring your little overnight bag over here for our little slumber party, anytime you're ready, HONEY. You're right, that does seem weird, Daniel."  
"Once again, Betty. Clarify, please. Good weird or bad weird? Cause so far, being your little annum clara is all kinds of good weird to me, honey-pie."  
"Too much, Daniel. Just honey is fine. Honey pie sounds kind of like I'm a hillbilly, or you are. Or a country music singer."  
"Duly noted, honey." he teased. "Okay, well my little bag's all packed and I'm on my way. I'll see you in about twenty minutes, baby. Oh, I think I like baby better for you."  
"Me, too. The way you say it, is sexy."  
"Okay...baby.." he laughed, saying it very low.  
She laughed at him, "I'll see you soon, Daniel...I love you."  
He looked at the phone, and smiled, "I love you, too, Betty."  
Over an hour later, Betty as she flipped through the channels, sitting on the couch, she got a call from Claire. "Mrs. Meade, hi! Daniel's not here yet, but he's on his way, if you want me..."  
"No, Betty. I just got a call from a hospital there in London. Daniel's been in an accident. You have to go check on him for me. I'm on my way there now!"

Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Friends and Family

Chapter 18: Friends and Family  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
There has to be a little drama to make Betty come to some realizations and to shake Daniel into revealing some things to his mother. Have no fear, though readers, I would NEVER hurt Daniel too seriously! Besides Betty gets to play nurse!  
Betty looked at the cab driver and asked him again, "Can you please hurry? I'm worried about my boyfriend. He's been in an accident and I don't know how serious it is!"  
"I'm terribly sorry Miss; it's just that there is no way around this blasted traffic! If you've got you're running shoes on, you might actually do better on foot from here. Just head round the corner and go four blocks left on Hanover Street, then make a sharp right and head there straightaway. You can't miss it!"  
"Thank you!" She handed the driver some cash and hurried out to start running to the accident and emergency entrance. She looked through the lobby once she arrived and asked at the desk.  
"Yes, I'm looking for…Daniel Meade. He was just brought in about twenty minutes ago, I believe. I'm his girlfriend and his mother called and said she had given me permission to see him until she can get here from New York. Her name is Claire Meade.  
I'm Betty Suarez. Mrs. Meade said she spoke to the accident and emergency room doctor and told him since it would take her about eight or nine hours to arrive, she was faxing over a copy of some paperwork for me to…to…sign for being his…emergency umm….power of attorney so I can sign if he…he needs surgery before she gets here!"  
She got through her whole little speech and then started thinking about what she had actually said and the enormity of it all really sank in to her. She started to cry. It was too much…to think something might be so wrong that Claire would need her to be Daniel's emergency contact, to have to decide and sign for him to have surgery if necessary.  
The woman looked at her sympathetically, then verified the information and nodded, then typed in the computer. "Yes, Miss Suarez, I have a record of the fax from Mrs. Meade being received. We have it on file and therefore, if I can just get your signature on these three pages and see your identification, then you can go up to the Intensive Care Unit.  
They are still assessing Mr. Meade right now. He's in the x-ray room and then the doctor will speak to you and let you know what they are going to be doing. He was in fairly serious accident, but I really don't have any medical information to give you, I'm afraid. I'll give you directions to the unit and you can go to the nurse's station first, then they'll let you speak to the doctor the moment he has finished with the diagnosis."  
"Do you know…if he's conscious? Can I talk to him when he gets back from the x-ray?"  
"I'm sorry; I really don't have that information. I know he was unconscious when they first brought him in, but he may be awake now."  
Betty nodded, "Thank you. Is that all you need?" She put her passport away and handed her back the paperwork.  
She looked at the nurse's desk upstairs in the Intensive Care Unit and asked her about where Daniel was, explaining who she was and briefly about the situation. "Yes, Mrs. Suarez. I was told you would be coming and would be acting on Mr. Meade's behalf until his mother has arrived."  
"Do you know if his sister was called yet? I didn't have a chance to ask his mother about her, but she lives in Paris. Her name is Alexis Meade. I have her number."  
The woman looked at her records, "Actually, I show that Alexis Meade was not able to be reached earlier. She was originally called as a possible next of kin for Mr. Meade, but there was only a voice mail. I can try her again if you like."  
"Well, I could call her myself, but I know she'll want to know how he is and…."  
"Yes, I understand. We don't really know the situation until the doctor finishes up with him and gives us the diagnosis, though, I'm afraid, dear. It's up to you."  
"Well, what would you tell her if you did call her?'  
"Simply that he was critically injured in an automobile accident and is currently being assessed to determine the extent of his injuries."  
"Okay. I guess I'll try and call her. Do you know what happened? Like was he in a car or on foot or was there another driver or something?" She was trying not to get upset, but this being completely in the dark as to his condition was beyond frustrating.  
The woman read the police report to her, "The report says he was brought in from a head on collision. He was in the back seat of a taxi and there was a lorry driver who was the one who ran into the taxi.  
He was also brought in and only sustained relatively minor injuries, but is under sedation. He had evidently run through a traffic signal. The taxi driver was killed, however. Mr. Meade was unconscious; therefore a few witnesses were the only way the police knew what had occurred."  
"The driver was killed? Oh my God! Well…thank you. So, as far as you know, Daniel is probably still unconscious?"  
"You never know. Steady on, luv. He should be done with the x-rays quite soon, and you can at least speak to the doctor, even if he hasn't woken up quite yet."  
"All right. I'll just wait over here, and call his sister to inform her what has happened so far. I know his mother is in the air right now."  
She called Alexis' number, "Hey, Alexis. It's Betty. I…"  
"I know about Daniel, Betty. Mom already called me and said she's on her way there. I assume you're at the hospital now? Have they told you anything yet?"  
"No. He's still getting x-rays taken. I still don't really know if he's even conscious or not. But the driver was…was killed."  
"Really? Daniel was in the back seat, right?"  
"Yes, and they said he was wearing a seat belt but all they really know at the desk was that he was unconscious when they brought him in." Betty was trying to stay calm.  
"DJ and I are trying to get a flight right now, Betty. We should still be able to be there before Mom, but I couldn't get out until about nine thirty, so it will be almost midnight by the time we get to the hospital. Can you…stay until we get there?"  
"Oh, of course! I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here and I'll call you once I talk to the doctor and see what's going on for sure."  
She could hear Alexis actually sighing with relief." Thanks, Betty. I really appreciate it. I'm so glad you're there with him."  
"Alexis, this is my fault! He wouldn't even be here in the first place if it weren't for me. He was on his way to my place when this happened. I should have gone to his place! I shouldn't have made him come to me…"  
"Betty, stop! This is NOT your fault! They call it an accident, because that's what it is. If anybody's to blame, it sounds like the truck driver was running a red light. Mom and I are just so glad Daniel has you there to stay with him till we can get to him. Don't worry; he'll be fine and hitting on you again in no time, Betty." She tried to lighten the situation.  
"Just hang in there, okay? Daniel's way too stubborn not to fight…" She stopped, allowing herself to think the worst for a moment, too.  
"You're right! He's going to be fine. I'll see you at midnight or as soon as you get here. Tell DJ not to worry either, Alexis. Don't worry; I'll be right here until he wakes up, if he hasn't already." She got off before either of them started letting their imaginations run away with them.  
Sitting waiting to know if he was going to be okay was torture. Betty started flashing back to the time she had spent with Daniel since he had followed her there. In spite of what Alexis reassured her, she felt extremely guilty.  
She knew that if he had never followed her to London, he wouldn't be in this situation. She couldn't even let herself think how she would survive if anything should happen to him. She had just allowed herself to really start enjoying their fast-blossoming romance.  
After what seemed like an eternity, Betty saw a doctor heading to the desk and then looking at her. She got up and went over to him hesitantly. He wasn't smiling and she had no idea what to expect from his demeanor. "Are you Miss Betty Suarez?"  
"Yes. Can you tell me how he is?"  
"Well, we've just gotten done examining him. The x-rays have come back and he definitely has a fracture in his left tibia and his left radius as well. He regained consciousness, while they were taking the x-rays, but we believe he has sustained a concussion. It doesn't look to be too serious; he'll just need to take a bit of watching to ensure the concussion didn't cause any permanent damage."  
"Is that likely…the permanent damage? You mean brain damage?"  
"Not to worry, the tests didn't indicate there was any swelling to the brain, but anytime there is a concussion and he has lost consciousness, it's always prudent to keep a watch on him for at least twenty-four hours just to be certain."  
"Is he awake now?"  
"Yes, but he's not likely to make much sense at the moment, with all the pain killers."  
"He doesn't have any other injuries, though? Nothing that will require surgery, nothing internal?"  
"No, all his injuries other than the fractures appear to be minor bruises and scratches that one would expect from such a collision. It's a good thing he was in one of the older, sturdy taxis, and was wearing his safety belt or he may not have fared so well. You're the girlfriend correct? The one his mother called to give emergency medical poa to until she arrives from the states?"  
"Yes. I called his sister in Paris. She should be here around midnight with his nephew, but his mother's plane won't arrive till early tomorrow morning. She left from New York immediately, but…"  
"Yes, of course. Understandable."  
"So, there is really nothing for me to sign?"  
"Actually, I believe Mrs. Scolville does have some forms for you. His mother gave us quite a bit of his information, but there were some questions still. His mother had all the insurance information, though, I believe. Check with her at the desk. She'll let you know what you need to give her."  
"Thank you, doctor. Do you know how long it will be before he'll be back in his room for me to talk to?"  
"Soon, Miss, very soon. Probably just a few more moments. Chin up, luv. He'll be right as rain soon enough."  
"Thank you!" she couldn't restrain herself from hugging the doctor, she was so relieved that things weren't more serious. She had been almost literally holding her breath, waiting to find out Daniel's status.  
She took care of the questions with the nurse's desk and called Alexis back to let her know the good news. She tried to reach Claire, but only got her voice mail.  
She figured the reception in the air may not be good, but she left a very upbeat, hopeful message in case she was able to retrieve it in the car from the airport to the hospital.  
She looked up and saw them bringing Daniel in on a stretcher. He appeared to be trying to sit up, but the male nurse pushed him down, "Please lie down, sir. Wait just a moment. You'll be in your room soon."  
"Daniel!" She ran to him and grabbed his hand, more grateful than she had ever been to see his beautiful blue eyes open. She grabbed him and hugged him as best she could. He winced, and put his left arm around her.  
"Ow! Hey, sweetie. I'm gonna be a little late for our date tonight."  
"Ha, very funny, Daniel. I'm so glad you're okay! Oh, my God, I've been going crazy!"  
She held his right hand carefully, and walked fast along with his stretcher as they wheeled him into his room. Once the nurse had him in his bed, Betty sat next to him, continuing to hold his hand and started to tear up. "You have no idea how worried I was! They said your driver was killed, Daniel! Do you remember anything?"  
Daniel's eyes seemed a little glassy and he had a very goofy grin, "Yeah, I was moving in slow motion, I think. I thought I was in the car going fast with Alexis. She's not here, is she? Is she okay? Who did you say died, Betty?  
Betty…I'm so glad you're here with me. Where are we again? Are we in Paris? I know DJ's in Paris. Cause he speaks French and that's what they do in Paris, they speak French. All the time! No, wait did we go to Ireland? Were there leprechauns? I know you took a shower with me…THAT was fun! Hey, let's do that again!" He looked at his arm, in a cast, "Oh! Maybe not. I know! You could give me a bath…that would be fun. You can be my nurse and I'll play doctor."  
"Daniel, honey, stop. I think you're pretty loopy from all the drugs. You sound kind of crazy right now. Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to get you anything? A drink of water?"  
"Just a lap dance, sweetie-pie. Or was it honey-pie? No, that was too much like a hillbilly you said! Ha! Hillbilly! What a funny word!"  
"Daniel, I'm not doing THAT…you're in the hospital. Just try and…calm down. Alexis and DJ are on their way here from Paris, but we're in London, do you remember anything? Oh, hey, let me go ask the nurse about your phone. I need to call your new boss and tell them what happened. I'll be right back, Daniel."  
"Okay, Betty. I think I'll stay here. I'll probably still be here when you go somewhere!"  
She just shook her head at him and went to see if the police had brought in Daniel's cell phone so she could get the number of his new employer and let them know what had happened.  
They had no record of his personal effects being brought in yet. The nurse re-assured her that often it takes some time for the police to complete their investigation and that the phone would likely turn up as soon as they had finished.  
She stepped aside and asked for a directory service to get the number and left a message for someone to call her concerning Daniel Meade and left her number, briefly explaining he had been in a serious accident.  
When she came back into Daniel's room he was sleeping again. She touched his forehead and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, taking care not to disturb the scratches and bruises on his face. She carefully brushed back his hair, away from the bandage on his head. She smiled as his eyes fluttered open again.  
"Hey, Betty! Hi! Wow! You look really hot! Where are your braces and your glasses….and your bushy eyebrows? Man…you really look pretty! Where are we? What...what's all this stuff? Did something bad happen?"  
"Daniel, I know you're confused right now. You're in London with me, remember? You were in a car accident on your way to see me. You were in the back seat of a taxi and the driver was killed. You broke your arm and leg, and you have a concussion, but that's all, thank God! You are just a little loopy right now from all the painkillers." Geez, she thought, was she going to have to remind him of the whole thing every time he fell asleep and woke back up?  
He smirked, "I know, Betty. You're my girlfriend, now, right? I remember you. I remember all about you."  
She blushed, "You do? I thought you didn't remember you were in London."  
"I don't think I did at first. I was just disoriented. I'm okay. I'm feeling just fine, baby. Do you want to hop up here and nurse me back to health?"  
"No! Daniel, I can't do that. They have rules about things like that, I'm sure.  
He reached up and touched her cheek with his right hand. She grabbed his hand and smiled.  
"Aww…what a cute couple! I see you two didn't waste any time. You know, I think if you want her to sleep in the same bed with you here, Daniel, you're going to have to buy a wing of the hospital or something." Alexis grinned as she and DJ came into the room.  
"Don't you own a wing of a hospital in New York?" DJ asked.  
"Well, yes, but not here. Here, your uncle Daniel is just a regular guy, who has to abide by the rules of the hospital. Hey, Daniel! It's really good to see you awake, buddy! You had everybody really worried! Mom's on her way.  
She should be here in a few hours. She got your message, Betty. She's thrilled that Danny here just broke a few bones and scrambled up his brains a little. So, in other words, nothing he'll really miss!"  
Daniel smiled and DJ hugged him on his 'good side' and tried to give him a high five. But Daniel winced. Alexis came and kissed him on the cheek, then gave him a high five, too.  
"Hey, guys! Thanks for coming to see me! How's it going?"  
Alexis looked at Betty and she shook her head. She motioned for Betty to step out of the room. "We'll let you two catch up, Daniel. Do you want me to get you a coffee or something?"  
"Sure! Betty knows how I like it." She rolled her eyes. "Okay. I'll ask her."  
Once they got out in the hall, Alexis looked at Betty, "Is he really okay? Does he have brain damage or something? He seems kind of goofy."  
Betty shook her head "No, the doctor said he's just going to be a little out of it because of the drugs."  
"Oh, good! I was picturing having to hire somebody to feed him or something."  
Betty smiled. "No, I'm so relieved he wasn't hurt more seriously considering how bad the taxi was hit by that truck. I feel so sorry for the taxi driver's family. If he had one. I'd like to find out and maybe see if they need anything."  
"Yeah, I'd also like to find that truck driver and see if he needs a driving lesson, too! He killed that poor guy and could have killed my brother! And of course, he's barely injured at all."  
"Well, yeah! That make sense, he was driving the truck, so…"  
"Right. But, I think we should go back in there."  
"Listen, Betty, Mom wants to stay here and take care of Daniel for a while. Is that okay?"  
"Well, I don't mind taking care of him, Alexis, but…"  
"That's sweet, Betty, but you have a job to get done. You're magazine launch is in less than a month. You don't have the luxury to stay home and take care of Daniel."  
"I guess. But…well, we'll figure it out tomorrow or something, I guess. Right now, I just want to go in and enjoy the fact that he's going to be okay." Alexis nodded, and put her hand on Betty's arm.  
"Daniel's really lucky he's got you, Betty."  
"Thanks, Alexis, but I think I'm the lucky one. I was so happy when the doctor told me he didn't have any internal injuries or didn't need surgery or anything even more serious. I couldn't imagine…losing him."  
Alexis hugged her, "I know, Betty. I was really worried, too."  
They walked in and Daniel was asleep again. DJ was watching TV and playing games on his phone. "Daniel is kind of coo-coo, no? From the accident? He has the drugs?"  
"Yeah. He's on some pretty serious pain killers right now."  
They all talked for a while, then Alexis took DJ down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, while Betty stayed, watching Daniel sleep. She closed her eyes for a second, and nodded off, picturing the first time she saw him on the steps at Trafalgar Square. She had to admit to herself that at that very moment, she had realized not only how much she had missed him, but what he meant to her. At least, at the time, she thought she knew how much he meant to her. But now…  
Her head was on Daniel's chest, as she sat next to the bed. She felt his right hand on her head, stroking her hair.  
"Hey, Betty. Thanks for loving me. I really love you, you know."  
She put her head up and smiled, then kissed him softly. "I know, Daniel. I'm so sorry. I should have just come over to your place tonight…I mean last night."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Do you know where you are?" She was hoping they didn't have to go through the whole where was he thing again, but he seemed to be a little more with it. However, he also seemed to be having more pain.  
He winced as he tried to sit up more. "Ow…yeah, I'm in the hospital in London, duh. I think we already talked about that, didn't we? Are you okay, honey? You look kinda tired. You should probably go home and get some rest. How long have you been here?"  
"I don't know." She stretched and looked at her watch, "About eight hours, I guess. You sound a little more with it right now. Do you remember anything?"  
"Not really. Just kind of freaking out as I saw a truck headed towards us. How is the driver? Is he okay? What about the truck driver?"  
Betty shook her head sadly, "The taxi driver didn't make it, Daniel. The truck driver is okay, though. They said he was the one who ran a red light."  
"Really? Oh, wow…that's terrible. The guy was really nice, too. Man, he…died? Does his daughter know? He told me he had an eighteen year old daughter just about to go to college.  
Her name was Miranda. He showed me her picture. Oh, God…wow…that's…I can't believe the poor guy's dead. His name was Arthur." Daniel seemed very upset.  
She put her hand on his, "Oh, honey, you really liked the man, didn't you? I'm so sorry."  
He nodded, dabbing at his eyes, "That could have easily been me, too, I guess. It really makes you think."  
"Do you think we should do something for his daughter? Was he divorced?"  
"No, he was a widower. We…kind of talked about that and how hard it is. Then I told him about you and how lucky I was that you helped me get over Molly and how I followed you here because you were the most important, most beautiful, kindest, and strongest woman I've ever known."


	2. 19-28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the proper order of my original posting. Don't know what happened with this when I tried to post it before. Somehow, I got the first 18 chapters posted twice. Sorry about that! Here is the correct ending. This is the first story in a series of 4. I will be posting the last (and not yet completed) of the 4, called 'Moments of Claire-ity' as soon as I get a chance. It's on Live Journal now, and I've only done the first 8 or 9 chapters. It is mostly from Claire's point of view and explores her past with Bradford and her time in London with Daniel and Alex as young boys. (as well as when she first met Brandon, her love we meet in THIS story).

Chapter 19: All Roads Lead to Home  
Disclaimer: I have no rights to Ugly Betty. The characters do not belong to me:(  
Claire watched as Betty lie sleeping in the chair next to Daniel's bed. She had been there for almost an hour, after her miserable flight.  
She knew that Betty had already called out from work for the day. She also knew that Betty didn't really have the time or luxury that she did to take off from her job. She had a launch coming up soon and Mr. Dunne needed her there, not playing nurse to her boyfriend, as much as she wanted to be the one to care for him.  
Claire and Alexis had already spoken about this as she had prepared everyone in New York that she would be gone for several weeks.  
Daniel was wide awake now and saw his mother in his room, but pointed to Betty and put his finger to his lip and smiled. Claire beamed at her son and went over to his bed to hug him as best she could without causing him too much pain.  
She truly hated to see him like this. The entire left side of his body appeared to be covered in casts. He had a cast from just below his elbow and one halfway between his left knee and upper thigh. He grinned like a kid gesturing with his right hand to the casts and shaking his head, then shrugging.  
She whispered, "Thank God you're going to be alright, Daniel. I'm so sorry this happened to you. How do you feel?"  
He cocked his head to one side, "Well, I'm still on the really good drugs right now, so I'm not too bad. I'm remembering from my previous accident how the pain kind of kicks your ass as soon as those wear off and you're stuck with the lower level pain killers, though, so I'm not really looking forward to that.  
I'm kind of scared to have to take those for a long period of time, too, Mom. I sure as hell don't want to get dependant on them again." He was still talking softly to avoid waking Betty.  
Claire merely nodded in agreement and made a sympathetic face over her son's concern. "Perhaps you can speak to the doctor before he releases you and mention your concerns. There may be an equivalent pain medication he can prescribe that is less likely to become addictive."  
"Thanks, Mom. Good idea. How was your flight? I'm sorry to drag you back here, just when you were getting back into the swing of things in New York."  
She shook her head, "Daniel, you're my son. I want to be here with you. Besides, knowing Betty here, she would try to take care of you and prepare for her launch at the same time. That's too much to ask of her. She's not your wife or even your fiance, yet." She glanced up at him and he just smiled back at her. "It might put too much of a strain on such a new relationship."  
"I know, Mom. I would just hire a nurse or something, but you're right, knowing Betty, she'd want to try and take care of me herself and she doesn't have the time to do that right now."  
"I feel terrible for barging in on her flat again. But I think we'd all be more comfortable there than if you and I stayed at a hotel, since you live with Betty, I suppose I will be, too. At least for the time being." Daniel looked at his mother.  
He wanted to let her know he really didn't live with Betty. In fact, he started to tell her just that. He figured now was as good a time as any to tell her about his flat and it's history. But, as she heard her name, Betty stirred again, this time waking up and seeing Claire standing next to Daniel's bed.  
"Mrs. Meade!"  
"Betty...I've told you before, it's..."  
"Claire, I know, I'm sorry, Claire. It's so great to see you again. I'm sorry I got Daniel damaged trying to come over to my place."  
"I'm sorry?" She seemed confused.  
She realized her mistake and covered quickly, "I mean, moving to London, you know, following me here. If he would have stayed in New York, none of this would have happened."  
Daniel was giving Betty a look, "Yeah, but, sweetie, we talked abuot this already, I needed a fresh start from Mode anyway. I'm in love with you, you're in London. So, this is where I belong. It's not you're fault some truck driver here decided to run a red light. It just happened. Stop blaming yourself for things you have no control over, please?"  
"Daniel's right, Betty. He came here because he loves you and wants to have a life with you. Whatever happens while he's here is not your responsibility. This is the path he's chosen to follow. He would have most likely drunk himself into a stupor by now, had he stayed in New York without you."  
"Gee, thanks, Mom." He gave his mom a look, then glanced at Betty, "But she's probably right."  
After catching up, then, seeing Daniel looking tired, Claire suggested, "Betty, I think Daniel's fading fast right now, why don't we go have a cup of tea somewhere out of this hospital. It's actually not raining right now, so we should probably take advantage of getting our vitamin D allotment while we can. I'll take you to the Savoy."  
"That sounds good, Mrs...I mean, Claire. Thanks."  
Once they were having their afternoon tea and 'biscuits', Claire asked, "Betty, I hate to be such a pest to you, but would it be alright if I stayed in your guest room for a few weeks to take care of Daniel while you're at work? I could hire a nurse or even get him a little rental place for he and I if you think it would be too close quarters."  
Betty thought of telling Clarie about the loft. She could easily tell Daniel it just accidentally slipped, because she was too tired, like she almost let it slip earlier, calling her flat 'my place' without thinking. But, since she was the one with two bedrooms, even though her flat was smaller in size, she decided Mrs. Meade wouldn't be comfortable sleeping on Daniel's couch anyway. So, she decided it was the only solution.  
"Please, Claire. You're talking to someone who hates to live alone. I lived at home with my papi, my sister, and nephew until I was twenty-three years old! Even when I did get my own apartment in the city, I ended up with roommates, so I'm used to having someone else there. I get lonely without a rommate. I wouldn't know what to do with my own bathroom!" She laughed.  
"Yes, I suppose that partially explains why you let Daniel move in with you so soon here. It seemed a bit hasty to me, but with how close you two already were, him always staying at your place in New York or you, at his place, I guess it just seemed silly to maintain two separate apartments here.  
I know how thrifty you are, and you probably told Daniel it would be foolish for him to find his own place with how expensive things are in London."  
She just nodded, while sipping her tea. She had tons of work to get done, so she told Claire she was going to go home and change, then run by her office for a few hours. "Now that you're here, I'll let you visit with Daniel for a while.  
Tell him I'll be back at the hospital later this afternoon, about five. I'm so glad you're here, I know he is, too. I'm sorry you had to come all the way back to England so soon, though."  
Claire dismissed her with a wave, "Please, dear, Wilhelmina is jumping up and down with delight to have Mode to herself for so long. In fact, she was so happy, she asked me for the address to send flowers to Daniel!" They both laughed.  
"Did she find a new assistant, or is Marc doing double duty as her lackey still while he is also Creative Director?" Betty hadn't spoken to Marc since she came to London.  
"She has a new male assistant, but he's even more of a suck-up than Marc was and I think poor Marc is losing his mind because he's sort of a clone of him. To make things even worse, it seems that Marc has a bit of a crush on the guy!  
It's very amusing to watch him fight his attraction, and yet be somehow jealous of the man with his long-time twisted sort of love of Wilhelmina!"  
"That does sound fun to watch! What's the guys' name?" Betty asked, finishing her tea and chewing her biscuit.  
"Colin Firth." Betty laughed.  
"Like the British actor?"  
"Yes. He's not British, but I think Willi told me his parents were and he was born here. He just moved to Los Angeles when he was young. He only moved to New York about six months ago.  
He's very cultural and interesting. I suppose that's one of the things Marc finds so attractive about the man."  
"Well, maybe, but you know it's always about looks for Marc." Betty tried not to sound too mean in saying that. But all those years of him making fun of her for how she looked didn't just disappear now that she had changed or even that he was on another continent. They still had hurt.  
"He's good looking, yes. In a sort of Cliff kind of way, I suppose."  
"He looks like Marc's old boyfriend, Cliff? Really?" Betty's eyes lit up. "Well, that's sort of surprising."  
"Yes, isn't it? I believe you may have left far more of an impression on people at Mode than you give yourself credit for at times, Betty. You were a very good example to everyone while you were there.  
You really changed people for the better. Especially my son. I'll always be grateful for that. I just wish you'd let me do something as a thank you for letting me stay with you."  
"Really, Mrs...Claire, I love Daniel. He's your son. That's something I'll always be grateful to you for giving me. He means so much to me. I don't think I realized how much I need him until this happened. He's always tried to protect me from my own stupidity with guys since I've known him.  
Now, he let me come here to follow my dreams, and he is starting his own life over, partially for me...I just don't know how I'm ever going to be able to pay him back for all he's done for me."  
Claire leaned forward and whispered, "Well, he's going to be out of commission for quite some time, several months, in fact, Betty.  
He'll be depending on you quite a bit in that time, even with me helping, too. I'd say you're going to get a chance to pay him back, believe me."  
You know, I have quite a few old friends at the UK offices of Meade, particularly Mode UK division that Daniel took me to see the other day on Bradford's and my anniversary. I should look a few more of them up while I'm here.  
I haven't actually lived in London since the sixties. I'm rather looking forward to it, Betty. I just wish Daniel didn't have months of recovery and therapy ahead, poor guy. Still, he's lucky, we all are, that things aren't far worse. I heard about the taxi driver, that's terrible!" She shuddered.  
"Yes, about that, Mrs. Meade. Daniel must have had a really nice conversation with the man before the accident. It seems he found out the driver had an eighteen-year old daughter and he was a widower. I think Daniel may want to look up the daughter and..."  
"Help her out? That does sound like something Daniel would want to do, Betty. Especially recently. See what I mean by you having a good influence on him? He has become the man I always pictured my son becoming, thanks in large part to you, dear. A man with a woman who loves him believing in him can accomplish great things."  
Betty blushed, but tilted her head to the side, "Claire...I know Daniel mentioned the Annum Cara thing to you. He told you about finding the wine set with the inscription and said you had given it to his father as a gift."  
Claire got a farawy look, "Yes. Bradford and I, well he just went by Brad back then. He was so handsome, much like Daniel now. He and I were traveling through Europe together and we spent a weekend in Dublin.  
We found this adoable little shop where they made things with the Annum Cara inscription. When we heard the story behind the Soul Friend, we loved it, we used it in our wedding vows. In fact, our first wedding rings were from that shop. The old man who made them was so sweet.  
I really thought Bradford and I were going to be like we were then for the rest of our lives. But greed and power became more important to him.  
Status and worrying about what others thought of me became more important to me, too. It wasn't all his fault things went wrong in our marriage. It really seldom is all one person's fault.  
Yes, he had his affairs, but I was too busy trying to put up a brave face, that I think at one point, he was trying to just get my attention.  
I've often wondered if I had perhaps yelled at him and made a scene, confronting him initially rather than pretending it didn't bother me and turning to the bottle if we couldn't have worked things out long before they got so bad. It's never any one thing."  
Betty put her hand on the older woman's. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories."  
Claire smiled, though her eyes were full, "That's alright dear. Just learn from my mistakes. I still have many very pleasant memories of Brad. Don't ever let anything come before your love, though.  
It's the only thing that lasts in life. It's really the only thing that matters. I'm sure you've seen as you've gotten to know our family, Betty, money doesn't buy happiness."  
Betty nodded, "I know. But, you're both very unselfish and kind. Look what you did in building the hospital wing back in New York."  
Claire smiled and got up, "Well, I'd better get back to the hospital. Daniel should be awake by now. I'll give him a pat for you, Betty. I'll see you later. Don't work too hard." Betty got up, too, and gave her a hug.  
"Goodbye, I'll see you soon." She went to get dressed, then run to the office and get as much done as she could in a few hours.  
She explained in person to Mr. Dunne what had happened to Daniel and that his mother was in London, now, so she would still be able to put all her efforts into the launch, but that she was sorry for having taken off an hour early the night before and the better part of the day today.  
"Good heavens, Betty, I certainly understand. This sounds like quite a serious ordeal your boyfriend's been through. Meade...you mean to tell me you've been dating Daniel Meade, the Editor-in chief of Mode in New York?  
Wasn't he your boss there? I thought it was his signature on your release form. Dating your ex-boss, eh?" he seemed to be teasing her, but she blushed.  
"Well, yes, but...Mr. Dunne, I assure you, there was never anything going on between Daniel and me when we worked together. Especially when I was his assistant!  
I didn't even know he...cared about me that way until a few weeks ago, actually, when he literally showed up in London, telling me he had fallen in love with me. It was sort of a shock to me."  
"I see. Young men and their romantic gestures! Quite the fairy tale, I must say. Perhaps you could use the time you'll be needing to spend at home, working on a story about your romance with Daniel, Betty.  
That way, I could justify letting you work at home more. You'll need to interview Daniel if you do a story on the both of you, after all." he said with a twinkle in his eye.  
"Really? You want me to do that?" her voice got high and squeeky, rather like when he had first told her of coming to work for him, he thought, smiling at her. One had to love these Americans and their boundless enthusiasm.  
"Well, I was going to ask you to do a feature story on your transition to a new country in the human interest section, at least, anyway, but since new beginnings is the main focus of this magazine, and readers love a good romantic interest tale, what better than to feauture your new life here when it involves a man who followed you here?  
We'll promote the dickens out of it, Betty. I think it will help your sales immensely!"  
"Thank you, Mr. Dunne! That's fantastic! I'll start working on it right away? How many words do you want?"  
"Perhaps a thousand would do. You are a very organized, hard-working young lady. I'm quite excited to see what you're going to accomplish for this magazine, Betty. I'm very pleased with all your ideas.  
It seems as though you've been preparing for this position your whole life in that book you were showing me the other day! Quite impressive!"  
She got up and was tempted to hug him like she would have Daniel, when he told her to run with one of her ideas. But, instead, she shook his hand enthusiastically.  
"Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Dunne! You won't be sorry, I promise. I won't let you down."  
She was thrilled at the idea that she would be able to at least help take care of Daniel for the first few days, especially, without having to rush off in the morning, leaving his care completely to his mother.  
She knew it wasn't going to be easy for any of them, especially Daniel, but she was still so grateful that he hadn't required surgery or anything life-threatening. Again, her heart was turned to the poor taxi driver's daughter, now an orphan, it seemed.  
She determined to find out the girl's name and reach out to her, and see if there was anything that could be done to help the young lady. She knew how hard it had been to lose her mother at that age and she had had her father, Hilda and Justin for support.  
"Betty!" Daniel seemed bright-eyed for the moment. His drug-induced haze was gone and he lit up as she walked in. She ran to the bed and was careful to plant a very gentle kiss on his right cheek. He stuck out his hand and grabbed hers to kiss it.  
"God, I missed you! Did you actually get some work done? You look so much more rested. Maybe it's the shower. You smell good, baby. I like your outfit. I was getting tired of seeing the other one. You can try to hug me on this side if you can! Man, this really sucks!"  
Alexis, Claire and DJ all smiled at each other, hearing him go on to her.  
She ignored his little ramble to her and tried her best to hug him without bumping into a tube or bandage. He winced a little, but was happy for the contact, in spite of his pain. She continued to hold his 'good hand' and looked around at everyone, to include them all in her news.  
"You'll never guess what Mr. Dunne just told me, Daniel! He said that since my first issue was all about new beginnings, he wanted me to do a story on us, on how we fell in love and you coming here, so I don't have to rush off in the morning right away and I can take care of you a little, while I interview you for the story! Doesn't that sound great! I'm so happy that I don't have to run off right away!"  
Claire beamed. "That is wonderful, Betty! I can actually take a nap tomorrow and recover from my jet-lag. I'm sure Daniel would much rather you help him bathe than me, anyway!" She teased.  
"Mom!" Daniel gave her a look. "I can bathe myself. I've got one good side. I'm not paralyzed or anything. I think I just need to wrap the casts in plastic or something, so I don't get them wet, that's all."  
Betty looked at him, "Yes, it's to prevent you from getting a skin infection. I stopped on my way home and got this thing called Stay-dri or something. I got one for your arm and one for your leg.  
This isn't going to be easy, though, Daniel. Your mom's right. You are going to have to let us both help you a little bit." Daniel fidgeted, uncomfortably, starting to realize how difficult it was going to be just getting around.  
DJ volunteered, "Well, as long as mama and I are here, perhaps I can help you with the guy stuff, like dressing, Daniel? It will be less embarrassing."  
Daniel smiled at him, "Thanks, DJ. That would be better. I appreciate it."  
Alexis looked at her son, "Yes, but, honey, we can only stay one more night. I hate to ask, but Betty, maybe we could hang out on your couch tomorrow? Wow, I know we're really invading your space, but..."  
Betty shook her head, "That's fine, Alexis. We're all family. Well, sort of... I mean..." She got red, realizing what she had said.  
Daniel grinned sideways, squeezing her hand, "Well, maybe not quite yet, but we're...definitely moving in that direction, don't you think,honey?" He leaned forward and she saw he was straining, so she met him more than halfway and kissed him tenderly.  
He sat back, managing to put his right arm on the pillow above his head, grinning, "See, if you stick around and keep giving me ten or twenty cc's of that every five or ten minutes at least, Betty, I won't even need any drugs!"  
Alexis laughed, "Awww...well, as darling as all this mushy stuff is, you two, I think I'm going to go take my kid to our hotel for the night. Mom, I got you a room there, too. Here's the key.  
We can all get some sleep and shower, eat something, and be back here bright and early to check out mister Casanova there and take him back to his and Betty's little love nest in the morning."  
Claire walked over and hugged Betty, then patted Daniel's hand and kissed his cheek, "I think we will let you two have some time alone. I'm fairly tired. I'll see you in the morning, dear.  
Take it easy. I know you're feeling a little better right now, but things are going to be up and down with your pain levels for a while, especially as the swelling continues to go down and your actually healing starts. Don't overdo yourself." She gave him a look.  
He rolled his eyes, "Please, Mom. Here? Are you kidding? Not even I am up to doing anything right now. Much as I might want to have my way with Betty right now, I'm afraid she's going to have to just look and not sample the merchandise for a while. Same with me." He smiled and winked at her as Claire left, shaking her head.  
Betty gave him a dirty look, "Daniel! You are so lucky you're in the hospital and in casts right now, or I would hit you for that! You're impossible!"  
He gave her an innocent look, "What? I can pretty much say whatever I feel like right now and just blame the drugs or the pain!  
It's kind of cool! Like I could say how hot you look and how I'd really like to take you up against that wall now and..."  
"Daniel! Cut it out!"  
"Hey, come on, can't a guy have his fantasies, at least? It's not like I could actually do anything right now. Although, you could maybe close that door and do some stuff for me? It would really help all the pain, Betty." he batted his eyelashes.  
"Oh, my God, you're going to be a terrible patient, Daniel! Do you remember you asked me to give you a lap dance yesterday? I'm glad we're at least going to be at home tomorrow, so I'm not quite so embarrassed at the things you say to me. But try to remember, your family will be there, okay? So, let's keep it PG?"  
He pouted, "Well, hell, you're no fun at all, Betty. Hmmm...come to think of it, a lap dance sounds really nice. You could do that when we get home, at least, right? In fact, I don't think the nurse is on this floor for a good hour..."  
Her eyes got wide, "What? Here? Now? Or at home with your mom in the next room? I don't THINK so, mister!"  
He thought for a minute, "Well, hey, Mom is going to need to go fill my prescriptions and pick us up some groceries, so...maybe when we're alone at home, tomorrow?" he tried to pull her down on the bed next to him.  
"And now, I'm...really lonely here all by myself. I hate hospitals, you know that, Betty."  
She carefully sat on the bed next to him and kissed his cheek again, stroking his face, "I know, Daniel. I am looking forward to nursing you back to health.  
I guess we could figure out a way to send everybody out on an errand tomorrow when we're home. I don't know exactly what we'll be able to do with you all banged up like this, but...I miss you, too."  
"Oh, yeah? Don't worry, I can take your bra off with one hand tied behind my back, remember? I knew those skills would come in handy some day.  
Thank God for British cars and that I was sitting on the right side, so my left side was what got hurt. At least I can use my right hand.  
And you know how good I am with this hand, Betty. I can still do a lot of fun stuff with one hand, believe me, sweetie. We'll think of something."

Chapter 20: Chapter 20 It's All in the Family

Chapter 20: It's All in the Family  
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Ugly Betty or the characters :(  
"Daniel, watch out! There's a chair in the way, DJ, can you please move that, honey?" Alexis had her arm around her brother's left waist, trying to maneuver him carefully into Betty's flat.  
"God, I'm so glad you have a freight elevator, I mean lift here, Betty! I can't imagine going up four flights of stairs with him! Geez, have you put on weight, Daniel?"  
He gave her a dirty look, "Since when? When we were twelve, yes. Since three years ago, when you last would have noticed, maybe a little.  
What are you trying to call me fat or something, darling sister? I've got news for you, sitting around for six to eight weeks on my ever- spreading ass isn't going to help me get any thinner!"  
Alexis looked at her mother and Betty, biting her lip, wishing she hadn't tried to tease her brother, like she normally did.  
She knew he was coming off the class three meds just in time for a lot of the pain to be kicking in and he was obviously getting a bit depressed with the notion of having nothing to do but sit around and let his bones heal for the next two months, give or take.  
Betty had been on Daniel's 'good side' trying to help him stay steady. Unfortunately, there were good and bad parts to having all his injuries on the same side of his body.  
The bad part was that it made his only way of getting around sort of hopping, which was not going to be easy, even once he could think about trying it. He was trying to envision how he could even use crutches, with his wrist being broken, too. He was also trying very hard not to feel helpless, useless, and just like a big burden for everyone.  
DJ was enjoying spending time with his 'cool uncle Daniel'. He had been thrilled to hear from his mother that Daniel had moved to England, so they could visit much more frequently now.  
Meeting his new uncle Tyler had been fun, too, but Daniel still felt like more of a father than anyone to him ever had.  
His knowledge that technically, Mama Alexis was his biological father was sort of strange to contemplate. Especially after he had spent time bonding with Daniel, then to be told the true situation was sort of unnerving.  
"Daniel, here, I'll put the ottoman up for your leg and get you a beer."  
"NO!" The other three adults all said in unison. "Sorry, DJ, but Uncle Daniel's on medication right now and he can't mix that with alcohol, sweetie."  
Daniel grinned at DJ, "Thanks, anyway, DJ. A beer sure sounds like a good idea to me! Maybe I could skip one of the doses of the loopy pills and just get a little beer buzz instead to take the edge off?"  
"Daniel, I don't think you want to be self-medicating, honey." his mother warned. "Not that I'm one to judge, of course."  
"No, you're right. I definitely could use some of those higher level hospital drugs right about now, though. Although, I sort of hate the way I feel so out of it. It's a catch 22, I swear. Either I'm high as a kite, or else I feel like I got hit by a truck...oh, yeah, I guess I did, huh?"  
"Daniel, I don't even have any beer in the house, anyway. You know I don't drink it."  
"You mean Daniel doesn't keep some just for him? That's surprising. You must have him trained better than I ever could when he lived at home years ago, Betty."  
Betty and Alexis finally got him maneuvered to the sofa and DJ helped get his uncle's leg up on the ottoman squarely. Betty fussed with pillows under his arm and behind his back. He looked at her, with a mixture of love and guilt. "Sweetie, don't you need to go into the office at all today?"  
"Trying to get rid of me already, Daniel? I told you, I can work from home today. I already called in and did my emails earlier. I'm "working" on my story about us today.  
Which I already have a rough draft started for, I'll just need to ask you a few questions, maybe after you're feeling a little better later this afternoon and then I can sit here and spend time with you while I work on it."  
They all exchanged looks, and Claire said, "Betty, I think Daniel is concerned you're trying to do too much, dear. I happen to think he's right. The whole reason I came here was to take some of the burden off you, but you seem determined to try and combine work and playing nursemaid to Daniel. It's too much!  
You've barely had any sleep for the past three days and nights, you've slept at the hospital, barely eaten and frankly, you look like you've been in an accident, yourself! Now, go take a shower and lie down for a few hours, dear.  
Get some rest, while I tend to limp-y here. You and I need to take advantage of Alexis and DJ being here today and part of tomorrow, since we'll be the only nurses on duty after that. Go! That's an order, Betty!"  
Daniel smiled, "You'd better not back-talk Mommy Meade, Betty!"  
Betty smiled weakly, "Okay. I guess so. I'll just set my alarm for two hours."  
"Make it four, dear. It's only eleven am. We'll survive till three at least before we start getting on one another's nerves and need you to play referee. Please, Betty. I'm worried about you. I don't want to have to call your poor father and tell him you've collapsed from exhaustion!"  
She nodded and carefully sat next to Daniel's right side, kissing his cheek gently, "I'll see you in a few hours, then, Daniel." He nodded, touching her cheek with the back of his hand.  
She leaned forward and whispered, "I love you."  
He grinned, "You say that now. Just wait until you're sick of me sitting on the couch all day, wating on me hand and foot!"  
She looked at him squarely, "Do you really think that's going to make you love you less? I spent a lot of time with my mami when she was really sick, Daniel.  
Those were some of the best memories I have of her, though. I don't mind helping you, okay? I'm just so grateful you weren't injured even more seriously than you were."  
He smiled at her, his eyes somewhat full, "I know, Betty. Thanks for being here for me and for being willing to take care of me. I love you, too, sweetie. But, please listen to my mom and get some rest! She's right. You are trying to do too much, as usual.  
I'm gonna make DJ and Alexis be my slaves for at least the next day till they leave, so you can rest up, okay? Save yourself for..." he looked at his 'audience' and decided not to finish his thought. "later."  
He sat back against the sofa, somewhat frustrated. He wished his libido would take a nap right now. Betty still looked awfully cute to him and all the sweet things she said only made him want her more.  
Right now, his mind was racing, trying to figure out what he was going to do. Betty had told him she contacted his one interviewer that he had met with the day of his accident as well as the three others he had lined up for the rest of this week and informed them of his accident.  
He was going to have to just put the job hunt on hold until he could walk into another interview at least, which wouldn't be for at least six weeks.  
He figured it was going to be a really boring life for a while, mostly watching television he wasn't familiar with, renting a LOT of movies, playing games (he'd have to learn how to do them one-handed).  
He wanted to get on the internet and research how to have sex with a broken leg and arm. How was he going to do anything? Thank God he was right handed, at least! But still. It definitely was going to present a problem. Good thing he and Betty were both pretty creative problem-solvers, he thought to himself.  
"What are you grinning like a goof about? Did your meds just kick in or something?" Alexis gave him a strange look.  
"No, I was just trying to figure out how I was going to use the internet, or go to the bathroom or shower, or get dressed, or...anything." he sighed.  
"Oh, I know they have the software for voice command on the computer you could get, Daniel.' DJ suggested.  
Daniel smiled, recalling his stupid mistake trying to use his phone headset and not knowing he hand't hung it up, thus allowing Betty to hear a not-so-good conversation between himself and Wilhelmina about her lack of good taste.  
He envisioned the interesting possibilities with him asking a computer to look up how to have sex with a broken arm and leg.  
He nodded to DJ, "Yeah, maybe. It sounds a lot faster than me doing the hunt and peck method with one hand. Can you look that up for me and order one?"  
"Sure, Daniel. I'll do that right now for you. I think there's one called Dragon something that is good."  
Alexis went to the kitchen to take stock of what food was in the fridge. "I'm going to go make a grocery and drug run, Daniel. Is there any kind of food you want in particular?  
Otherwise, I'll get you a good variety of everything, and maybe one bottle of wine for you to use very sparingly as you come off your meds and mainly for Betty, cause let's face it, she's going to need something to get her through all the stress of her launch and this, too!"  
Daniel made a face at her, "Thanks so much for making me feel like less of a burden on poor Betty! Like I don't feel bad enough, barging in on her and basically taking over her flat, not to mention all her free time, completely messing up her life!"  
"But, Daniel. You already live here, so..."  
Alexis shot him a warning glance, but he had had enough lying. "Mom, I don't. Live here, I mean. At least, I didn't before. I've been staying at that one property I mentioned that was on Dad's list of property holdings. I inherited it when he died.  
I came and looked at it when I decided to move here, so I wouldn't have to live out of a hotel or find a place right away. I think it might have been one you and Dad owned originally. But you said he told you he sold it in the seventies? Only he didn't. He still owned it."  
"But, Daniel, I don't understand. When I came to visit..."  
"I lied. Betty let me pretend I lived with her here, but I didn't. I'm sorry. I just didn't want to upset you."  
Claire looked at her two children, suddenly understanding, "So, you think he kept the place to meet with the whore when he was here, is that why you were afraid to tell me?"  
Daniel nodded slowly and shrugged his shoulders, then winced. "Maybe. I don't really know, Mom. I'm sorry I lied to you. I just didn't want to see you upset."  
She came and sat next to him and put her hand on his, "I understand, Daniel. Believe me, I appreciate you trying to protect my feelings, but that is just silly. It's water under the bridge now.  
I'm NOT going to go running to the bottle because I get a little sad about your father's mistresses. I've already been there and done that...to death! Thanks, dear, but please don't feel you have to tiptoe around me or hide things from now on, okay?" Daniel nodded.  
She looked at Alexis, "That goes for you, two! You walk on eggshells with me half the time as if you're afraid I'm going to break, even more than your brother."  
"Well, Mom, I know I caused you so much heartache, when you thought I was dead. I felt terrible that I put you through that."  
"Again, dear, water, bridge. What's done is done. Regret is a completely useless emotion. Believe me, I should know, I've wallowed in it enough to get all pruny. But guilt doesn't help anybody and it doesn't fix anything. Remorse, maybe is a little better if it makes you try to fix your mistakes when you still can."  
They started watching a funny television show, while Alexis was out getting food and filling Daniel's prescriptions.  
Daniel and DJ's laughter woke Betty up and she came out to see what they were watching.  
"Sorry, honey. We saw this rerun or whatever of this show called 'Mrs. Brown's Boys' and it's funny as hell. Have you seen it? This 'woman' or guy dressed as a woman is hilarious!"  
Betty rubbed her eyes and put on her glasses, "Oh, yeah! I've seen that show. It is really funny. Did you see the one where she gets the bikini wax? I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the couch!"  
"No, this is one where she has her son's future mother-in-law over for dinner and she gets drunk so she starts sticking her finger in the soup and stuff. It's really good. Hey, I'm sorry, babe. We didn't mean to wake you. Did you get some rest? It's only three-thirty. I thought you were going to sleep for at least another hour."  
"No, if I do that, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight. I'm okay. How are you feeling?"  
"Pretty good. I just felt the latest dose kick in pretty good about ten minutes ago, so I'm feeling a good little buzz right now. Alexis is actually trying to cook, with mom just giving her a few tips here and there, so you may want to have some of the wine she got you first, just so it tastes better!"  
"I heart that!' Alexis called out, "I'll have you know, I can cook anything frozen, steamed or microwaved and even heat up a mean left-over from any restaurant in a ten mile radius, right, DJ?"  
DJ nodded, "Mama is learning. I like to cook, but she tries. I told her she just needs more butter on everything, but she says she will get too fat."  
"Yeah, well, that's why French food tastes so damn good, they put four pounds of butter on everything, so of course it tastes good! You can't eat like that all the time, though.  
Actually, I found that the 'French paradox' or whatever they call it about French women staying so thin is just mainly that they eat slowly, and have smaller portions. Not to mention, they walk everywhere! There's very little fast food, too, which is fine, I really don't miss it."  
"Please, you used to drive me crazy wanting your burgers and fries all the time in New York."  
"Well, maybe that's because I knew I wouldn't have it so handy."  
"That was before you even knew you were moving to Paris, eh, busted!"  
"Okay, fine. I used to like burgers and fries...and pizza in the states once in a while. So, sue me! Tonight I'm making Chicken Cordon Blue, with asparagus and roasted potatoes.  
I hope everyone likes that. Because it's one of the few things I make pretty well."  
Daniel looked at DJ, "Really? Does she? Is it edible?"  
"Yes, it's very good. She learned from a very good chef she dated for a while."  
Betty came into the kitchen, "Is there anything I can do to help, Alexis? I feel bad with you cooking when you're the guest."  
"Yeah, well, I'm a 'working guest.', so I've got to earn my keep. Listen, don't you need to interview Danny for your story, Betty? Go ahead, so you don't get fired.  
Then you and Daniel really will kill each other, with you both sitting around the house all day. I'm okay, thanks, though." She gently nudged Betty out of the kitchen.  
When Betty came into the living room, DJ said quietly to her, "Mama likes to have the kitchen all to herself when she does actually cook. So, I just have learned to stay out of her way."  
"Oh, okay. Thanks, DJ.!" She came and sat down next to Daniel. "So, Mr. Meade, may I possibly interview you now?" Claire got up and suggested she and DJ go out for a while.  
"Alexis, you're not really needing to start dinner this early, are you?" She looked back at Betty and Daniel and motioned her head to indicate they might need some privacy.  
Alexis caught on, "Oh, damn! You know, I think I forgot a really important ingredient. You two want to come help me find some frommage?"  
"Of course, dear! We'll be a few hours, guys! See you later." Claire called out to Daniel.  
He laughed, watching them leave, "Smooth. I guess they figured we needed some alone time."  
"I guess so. So..." She touched his left shoulder and fingers gently, then ran her hand down his right arm. "I wonder how we're going to deal with all of this?" she waved her hand over his casts.  
He laughed, "I have no frickin idea, Betty. It's going to be um...interesting. I was thinking earlier of going online and seeing exactly how one has sex with a broken leg AND a broken wrist.  
I pride myself on being um...creative, but even I've never tried to only use one side of my body before! You're always good at problem-solving, Betty. Can you think of how to work around my handicap?"  
She thought for a minute, "A chair. One with no arms, and I could somehow sit on like...I mean, you know, I could sit on your lap?" She smiled, blushing slightly.  
He grinned, "I like the way you think, Betty. That could definitely work, I guess. I was thinking like tonight, when we're in bed, I could...well, I guess you'd just say, we could like spoon, sort of?  
Only I don't know...maybe we need to wait for at least Alexis and DJ to leave before we try anything like that at night, because if I ended up falling off the bed, it might be sort of embarassing!"  
"Well, it would be just as embarassing even with only your mom here, Daniel. We'll just have to make sure we're really, really careful and don't end up with you falling."  
"Right now, I just really need you to kiss me, that's all. I'm dying here, I want you so bad, Betty."  
"I can definitely do that, Daniel." She leaned forward and put her hand carefully on the back of his head and kissed him sweetly. As she started to pull away, he managed to hold her around the waist instead, deepening the kiss and wrapping his right leg over her slightly.  
She smiled through the kiss, then whispered, "Are you trying to use your good leg as an extra arm, Daniel?"  
He shrugged, "I don't know, how I'm going to do this, babe. I think you are going to have to get WAY more aggressive or else I'm going to get VERY frustrated, you know what I mean?" He looked at her with a mixture of despair and pleading.  
"You and your puppy dog eyes are killing me, here, Daniel!" She seemed exasperated, but ran over to the front door and locked the deadbolt, "Just in case, we lose track of time." She walked over to him and leaned down as she started unbuttoning her shirt. "Okay, let Nurse Betty help take your mind off your troubles for a while, honey."

Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Making Lemonade

Chapter 21 Making Lemonade  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
Betty was intently typing on her laptop, sitting on a chair with her feet folded under her, and Daniel was napping on the sofa when the door opened and Claire, DJ, and Alexis came in, rather hesitantly.  
They looked in and decided it was 'safe' to come back inside and Alexis immediately went to work in the kitchen, allowing her son to help her start preparing dinner. "Do you want to pound the chicken, honey?"  
"Of course, that's the fun part! Bet-ty, do you have a mallet?"  
Betty looked up, somewhat distractedly, "What? Oh, sorry, um...I don't think so. You could maybe try using a hammer, I guess. I don't cook a lot, sorry."  
"No worries, we'll find something we can use. Has Daniel been sleeping long?" his sister asked.  
Betty smiled, "No, not too long. He was up for a while, but I guess he just got worn out from everything. You know, getting home from the hospital and all."  
Claire came and sat next to Daniel and patted his hand. "Poor guy! I feel so sorry for him. Even after he heals initially, he's going to have rehab, too. I know he's going to be going crazy."  
"I think he already is." Betty said into her laptop. "Sorry, I'm almost done here. Then, I just have to edit it later tonight."  
"Did you get what you wanted from Daniel?" Claire asked.  
"I'm sorry?" Betty looked a little taken aback.  
"Your interview. Was he awake enough to give you everything you needed to finish it?"  
Betty met eyes with Alexis as she came in to sit down while the chicken was baking. "Mmmm hmmm. Pretty much." Betty smiled, as Alexis rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
"That must have been hard for him." she said.  
"Excuse me?" Betty was doing all she could to keep a straight face, wondering if they were playing with her now or just happened to be asking all these ambiguous questions accidentally.  
"With all the drugs, I mean. Were you even able to get a straight answer from him? He's been kind of in and out lately, you know."  
"What? Oh. Right. No, he was really good. He seemed very um...happy to help."  
"Well, yeah. I guess he would be."  
Daniel moaned, "Oh, my God...you two, stop, okay? You're giving me a headache! So we had sex, what's the big deal? What did you think we were going to do when you left? Isn't that why you left in the first place?  
Betty got her article started and she did help me relax, until you came in here with all your stupid little inuendos..."  
Claire diplomatically pulled Alexis into the kitchen, "Come on, dear, I think I want to see how you roast those potatoes in France."  
"I just was teasing." Alexis whined as Claire pushed her back into the kitchen.  
She said under her breath, "For goodness sake, just leave your poor brother alone. Let him have some privacy. He's right, you're being silly.  
He and Betty are certainly allowed to spend time together in their own home. We're the guests, remember?"  
"I was only having some fun. You kind of started it, anyway."  
Claire smiled, "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, dear."  
Betty finished her article and ran to the sofa to show Daniel, "Are you up to hear this?"  
"Yeah, go ahead, let me hear all about our little romance, Betty. I'm dying to see us through your eyes."  
She put the laptop on his lap and asked, "Can you see it okay, or do you need me to read it for you?"  
He gave her a look, "My eyes are fine, Betty. I'm not damaged everywhere."  
"I know that, sweetie. You don't have to tell me." she kissed him on the cheek.  
He grinned and read to himself, 'From New York to London/From Friends to Soul Mates in Four Easy Years, by Betty Suarez.' I like it, but it might be a little long." Daniel began.  
"No editing, yet, mister Editor-in-Chief. Just read it first, and tell me what you think as my boyfriend. Besides, you're not my boss anymore, Daniel. Just tell me if it's okay with you, alright?"  
He nodded and started reading to himself,  
"I first met Daniel Meade in New York over four years ago and the first impression he made on me was not a particularly good one.  
He was a rich, spoiled, entitled playboy, with serious issues stemming from his fractured family life, and he was a terrible boss. He tried to get rid of me my first week by being mean and cruel.  
I'm sure I made an equally terrible impression on him. My first day, I arrived at Mode, a high fashion magazine wearing a hideous poncho (I've never admitted it, but it really was ugly!), and I slammed right into the glass door, causing everyone to turn and stare at me.  
I had braces and glasses and my eyebrows needed serious trimming. My wardrobe was gleaned from every color in the rainbow.  
Not a good start to our relationship! Especially once I learned that the only reason his father had hired me was to keep Daniel from sleeping with his assistants. However, over the years, I've gotten to really know this man.  
Not as the guy the public sees, but as an amazing man who is kind and gentle to his family, and thoughtful to his employees.  
I've seen him work all day and night to do the very best at his job, and I've even seen him humiliate himself by wearing a bunny suit just to save his employees' jobs.  
He's stuck up for me, been amazingly kind and thoughtful to my family, encouraged me, cheered for me, and now, after all these years, and after all the trials and triumphs we've been through, he has shown me his true heart.  
He had the courage to tell me how much he loved me by writing and publishing a letter in his magazine saying he did.  
Then, even after I hurt him by coming to London without telling him first, he still left the security of his home and his family business to follow me here and start his life all over. He did this for me, because he loves me.  
For a terrifying few hours, I thought I had lost him this week in a terrible car accident that killed the driver and left Daniel with several broken bones.  
Even in his own pain, he cried over the driver he had barely met, concerned and touched in the brief conversation he had with the man.  
As I sat waiting for him to regain conciousness in the hospital, I thought of our recent trip to Ireland where we learned all about the 'Annum Cara' or Soul Friend.  
The Celts believed that the "Anam Cara" was someone to whom you confessed, someone with whom you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart.  
It takes great courage to let someone so close. Daniel has that kind of courage. I've seen him face so many challenges, one family crisis after another, losing his father, and his wife, almost losing his business, and he kept getting back up after everything, still telling me how proud he was of me through it alll.  
When you are blessed with this Soul Mate, the Irish believe, you have arrived at that most sacred place: home.  
Among all the wonderful things Daniel has taught me, he's given me hope, and he's shown me that wherever we are together, whether it's here in London, back in New York, or wherever life takes us, as long as we're together, as long as we have each other, we're home."  
"Well, what do you think?" She asked. He reached over and kissed her cupping her face in his hand.  
"I think you are a really good writer, sweetie. I didn't give you anything for that, you did it all on your own. I feel bad that I didn't really help you with it."  
"Daniel, you have given me everything. You didn't just say you loved me, you've been showing me, over and over all these years, and especially recently. I can't believe how lucky I am to have you do all you've done for me."  
"Thanks, Betty. I feel pretty lucky, too. I mean, this definitily isn't ideal, but I know we'll get through it...thanks for earlier, too. You make a very sexy nurse. We're going to have to get you a uniform, I think."  
"Kinky, Daniel. We'll see." she winked and kissed his cheek.  
"Dinner is done, guys. I guess we could all just eat in the living room. We could watch a movie together or something. Nine and a half weeks, maybe?"  
"Alexis, be good. How about an action movie?" Claire suggested.  
"You like action movies, Mom? Since when?" Daniel asked.  
"Since I've been to the movies with a few gentlemen over the years that got me liking some of them."  
"Really? Which gentlemen are these, do tell?" Alexis asked.  
"Yeah. Who have you been going to see action movies with, Mom? Lately?"  
"Oh, no one you would no, dear. No one in particular, just men, here and there. How about this one, that Betty has, it has Ben Affleck, he's not too bad."  
"Boo! I don't want to see that! He's a big goofball!"  
"You're outvoted, Daniel. All us ladies like him, right girls?"  
"Right!" shouted Alexis and Betty.  
"DJ, buddy, help me out here!" whined Daniel.  
DJ made a face, "He is a wimp!"  
"Yeah, at least Matt Damon was in those Bourne movies, Betty, don't you have one of those?"  
"Well, I did have all of them, remember? Until you borrowed them and never returned them, Daniel! I agree, those are far better movies than this, and I'm not even much of an Uma Thurmon fan, at least not in this movie, but...I also have to agree with your mom and sister, Ben is pretty hot! And we have a majority, boys, sorry!"  
"Whatever! Drool over your little pretty boy, ladies. See if I care. Are there at least any good nude scenes?"  
"Daniel!" said all three women. "Sorry, DJ, I was just kidding."  
DJ grinned, "No, Otherwise, mama would never let me watch this movie, if there were, unfortunately! She is no fun sometimes!"  
He came and sat on Daniel's left side. Betty was resting her head against his right shoulder, with her feet up on the sofa.  
"Mmm...this is really good, Alexis! I usually don't even like asparagus! And the chicken is delicious. Can I get this recipe?"  
"Sure, it's all in pounding the chicken thin enough to roll it around the ham and cheese. Plus, you have to make sure and use mayonaise and I use some toothpicks to secure it while it's cooking, but I've been known to forget to take them out."  
"Ow! Yep, found one! It's still pretty good, though, sis. Surprisingly. Who knew?"  
After they had watched the movie, everyone helped Daniel get to the bedroom. Betty and DJ helped him get dressed. "God, this really sucks! I feel like I can't do anything like this. I mean, if it were just one or the other, but...what a pain in the ass!"  
"Daniel, I would just use the wrap Betty got for your casts tomorrow and you should be fine with the bathtub. That might be easier than a shower. For tonight, you are okay?"  
"Yeah, thanks for the help, DJ."  
"No problem. Goodnight, Betty, Daniel."  
"Do you and your mom have enough covers and pillows?"  
"Yes, I'm going to sleep in the recliner. She can have the sofa bed. See you in the morning."  
"Goodnight, buddy."  
Daniel looked at her, "Well, as much as this sucks, I'm pretty tired. I'm not really looking forward to taking a bath or whatever tomorrow."  
"We'll figure it out, Daniel. There's no sense in getting all worried about it. Sometimes things you are sort of dreading aren't bad at all. You just have to look at them through a different perspective, that's all."  
He smiled, "Are we still talking about the bath thing or about earlier? I guess the rumors at Mode were true, then?"  
"What rumors?"  
"Well, obviously not about us, but there were rumors about you uh...being really good. I used to threaten to fire anybody I heard spreading them, but...maybe I was hasty. I mean, you are uh ...good."  
She was mortified, "What? Oh, my God! Well, that explains a lot! I should have known. Who started that rumor? Who was I supposed to have done that to?"  
"Well, mainly me, I guess. Huh, it's just like my dad thinking we wouldn't sleep together; I guess we just busted another story about us and made it come true! Come on, it's not that bad. It's perfectly natural, Betty. I mean, as long as you don't mind.  
I don't see what the problem is. I'm really glad I was able to rally, though fairly quickly using your brilliant chair idea, too, so I didn't seem so selfish."  
She stroked his face, "You're not selfish, Daniel. You're a very unselfish person. Both in the bedroom and out of it. I just wanted to help you relax and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to figure anything else out, so..."  
He grinned, "Well, you definitely took me by surprise, that's for sure. Not that I minded. So...about tonight."  
"Just get some rest, Daniel."  
"Believe me, if I weren't in this crazy stuff." he gestured towards her. "You look so hot...I really wish we could..."  
"Daniel, you've just been through a traumatic, serious injury. Your body needs rest. We can, we have, and we will continue to figure out ways to deal with it as far as our sex life is concerned.  
But right now, you need to go to sleep, with no funny business tonight, okay? We'll figure things out as we go along. We're both creative... and willing, so who knows, maybe we'll end up finding even more fun ways to do stuff. Goodnight, honey. Sleep well. I love you."  
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, "I love you so much, Betty. I'm really happy that we have each other. I"m a very lucky guy to have you, and my family to help me get through this.  
I...really liked reading your story about us. I felt like it was mostly about me, though. It was really sweet, honey. I'm glad you feel that way."  
"Well, without you coming here and showing me how much you loved me, there wouldn't be an us. I'm so glad you followed me here, Daniel. You're a really amazing man."  
"You're pretty amazing, yourself, Betty. Are you going to have to go in to work tomorrow?"  
"Yes, I'm sorry, but I think I need to. I wish I could stay home again and play sexy nurse to you all day, but I have tons of things I need to get done at the office, so I think I'll let you spend time with your family in the morning and I'll just see you tomorrow night.  
I need to get my, I mean our story submitted, and get going on it, plus I still have lots of other features to proof, and advertisers to talk to...it's going to be a really busy day."  
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, "Maybe...I could return the favor? Help you relax for tomorrow?"  
"What? Oh! I don't know, Daniel. I..." she blushed. "I've never really..."  
"Really? Not even with...never mind, don't ask, right? Listen, I'd be more than happy to, you know. I'd just be glad to show you I'm not useless. I'm actually pretty good at it, I'm told." he smirked.  
"Oh, yes, I have no doubt you are, Daniel. I just..."  
"You need to trust me, Betty. I promise, I'll be very gentle."  
"No, I know. It's not that, it's just...with you family all here, I wouldn't want to be too loud. Remember? That time with your mom? I'd be really embarrassed."  
"Okay. But tomorrow night? After Alexis and DJ have left? I'll definitely rock your world, baby. You'll see. I'll have you begging for more." he grinned.  
"Daniel!" she blushed.  
"Hey, fair is fair. You helped me out, so I can definitely do the same for you, Betty."  
"Okay, Daniel." she agreed, somewhat hesitantly.  
"Good. I'm looking forward to it. I'll see if Mom wants to go visit my flat for a while maybe. That way, you can scream all you want." he raised his eyebrows, and smiled at her.  
"What? Wait, you told your mom about your flat? She knows?"  
He grinned, "Yep. I meant to tell you, but there really wasn't time. I told her about dad's place. She knows all about it. I forgot to tell her that's where we found the decanter and goblets, though.  
I'll show them to her tomorrow, I guess. Maybe she can shed some more light on why she thinks Dad kept them. I guess I'll give her my key and see if she wants to go look around."  
She kissed him, "I'm so proud of you for being honest with your mom, Daniel."  
They kissed again. This time, it grew more passionate. They finally parted, both breathless."God, I want you...you really drive me crazy, girl."  
"Do you want to try something? I might have an idea. I did some research."  
"Oh, yeah, I'm up for anything, Betty. Believe me."

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Invalid Blues

Chapter 22: Invalid Blues  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty  
After Betty had left for work the next morning, Claire came to the door and knocked softly to see if Daniel was awake yet. "Come in, Mom. I'm up."  
"Hello, dear. How did you sleep?"  
"Good." He smiled. "I think I'm going to see if I can persuade DJ to help me wrap my stupid casts and spot me as I hop into the tub so I don't start stinking up the place. Is Alexis actually making bacon and coffee? It smells pretty good."  
Yes, she's trying to persuade me to go with her to see your father's flat that you've been staying in. Do you still have the wine set? I think I'd like to see it."  
"Sure. It's there, at my flat. I mean Dad's…"  
"No, you're right, Daniel. It belongs to you, now. Where is it?"  
"The set? I think I put it back in the kitchen cabinet where Betty found it. Over the stove. You know, it really doesn't look like anyone's used the place for a really long time.  
Betty and I cleaned it up a little, and she was trying to talk me into painting it some god awful color, but she's right, it could really use some re-doing.  
It kind of looks like a time warp or something. I mean, are you sure you want to go there, Mom? It might even look the same as you remember it. It's that out of date, seriously. It's like Dad just sort of forgot he owned it or something."  
"I think I can handle it, Daniel. I'll leave you with Alexis, if you think you need her to stay here."  
"No, that's okay. DJ and I can hang. He's pretty strong, now. You and Alexis should both go together. The address is on the dresser, in my wallet. The key's the biggest one on the ring."  
"Okay, do you want to eat breakfast first and then you and DJ can work on your bath afterwards?"  
"Yeah, I'm starved!"  
"Okay, let me see if your nephew can get on one side and I'll take the other to help you into the kitchen."  
She and DJ both re-appeared and helped him to the table. Alexis smiled, "So, were you and Betty up late telling each other knock knock jokes or something all night?"  
"What?"  
"Oh nothing, we just heard lots of laughing, so we figured either you were tickling each other or you were telling each other jokes."  
"Yeah, well, she uh…accidentally tickled me, so I got her back." he shot her a glare.  
DJ was shoveling in his breakfast, and with his mouth still somewhat full, he didn't even look up, "Jokes? I thought they were having sex."  
Daniel choked slightly on his coffee, but didn't say anything. Claire attempted to change the subject, "DJ, dear, don't eat with your mouth full.  
You know, Alexis, I think after I see the apartment, I'll go straight over to the Mode offices today. But I can certainly go there by myself if you want to come back here from Daniel's place. There are some old friends I didn't have time to look up when I was here before."  
She nodded, knowing what her mother was doing. "Sure, Mom. But, I don't mind going with you. I think the guys will be okay by themselves for a while today."  
"Thanks for making breakfast." Daniel barely looked up.  
"I see you worked up quite an appetite."  
He was bitter, "Well, I might as well get started on that huge ass I'm going to end up getting. I don't know how the hell I'm going to be able to get any exercise like this.  
And before you start, I don't really think sex counts. At least not as all that aerobic. Not with a broken damn leg, especially."  
Alexis looked at him, grinning slightly, "I didn't say a word, Daniel!"  
"Right. Why do you care so much, anyway if I'm having sex or not? Are you jealous or something?"  
"What? I don't care. And I'm not jealous, either. I was just doing what we always do, busting your chops, Danny-boy. Do you want me to tiptoe around you and treat you like you're going to uh, excuse the pun, but break or something?  
Because I'm not going to do that. I was too scared I was going to lose you, and since I didn't, I'm not giving you any special treatment, okay?"  
He nodded, understanding. "Okay. Thanks. And no…uh…knock knock jokes. Sorry we were so loud." he reddened slightly.  
"You weren't really that loud. Don't embarrass Betty. We had just turned off the TV, that's all."  
"Well, you should use your earplug and IPod. I slept like a baby."Claire smiled smugly, eating a piece of toast, choosing to stay out of her childrens' argument.  
DJ looked at her, "That reminds me, grandmama, am I ever getting mine back?"  
"No. We'll get you a new one. I like this. Although some of your music is questionable. I think I'll have you show me how to put some different songs on it for me." She hugged him.  
After Claire and Alexis had cleared the dishes and left, DJ helped Daniel wrap his casts in the plastic, then almost as soon as he was in the tub, the doorbell buzzed.  
"Are you going to be alright?" DJ asked.  
"Sure, go see who it is, will you? Look out the peephole first. I'm not really expecting any visitors right now."  
DJ went to the door and a few minutes later, Daniel heard voices. He called out, "DJ! Who was it?"  
Marissa peeked her head in. "Allo, Dan-iel! Ow's it going then? Oh, my God! What did Betty do to you, luv? I've heard of rough sex, but really…" she laughed.  
"Hey! Do you mind? Please get out! Can't you see I'm not decent, Marissa? Betty didn't do anything. I was in a car accident. What do you want?"  
"Oh, sorry." She laughed and left, closing the bathroom door except for a crack that she spoke to him through. "I just wanted to leave my card with her to see if she knew of anyone who needs health care.  
The company I've been working for is going under and I'm trying to get some of my own clients or something to make do.  
I guess there'll be no holidays for me! Ah well, c'est la vie! Say, do you need a nurse while Betty's at work? I've got my medical technician certification, so I'm authorized to give medication.  
I've never really done any work with broken bones, usually I work with old people, but…that is what happened to you, right, luv?"  
"Um…yeah, and thanks, but my mom is staying with me. She'll be back later. She just left this morning because my sister and her son are here till tonight.  
But most of the time she'll be helping me whenever Betty's at work. Just leave your card on the kitchen counter and I'll see if Betty knows of anyone who needs a nurse. Thanks!"  
She peeked her head back in, "Bye, Daniel. Make sure you wash behind your ears good, luv, Tah!" then she closed the door.  
He shook his head, then slipped down into the water, "Jesus!" After a few minutes, DJ came back in, "Who was that, Daniel? She said she was a good friend of Betty's and needed to talk to you.  
I tried to tell her you could not talk, but she did not listen to me, she just took off. I'm sorry. Will Betty be too upset?"  
"Not with you."  
"With you?"  
"Nah, I don't think so. I hope not. It's not like I could do anything about her just barging in on me, really. I think she was just trying to make me uncomfortable, that's all.  
She's kind of strange. She's not really Betty's friend so much as just her weird neighbor."  
"I see. She was flirting with you, no?"  
"Well, kind of, I guess. I think she just was messing with me. She sort of gave me a hard time once before. Nothing serious. It might be just she has a weird sense of humor or something.  
I don't think she's anything to worry about. I definitely don't want to have her be any kind of nurse to me, though, that's for sure!"  
"Yes, I think Betty would not like that too much."  
"Definitely not! So, can I get a towel, please? I'm ready to get out of here."  
After several hours, Daniel was playing with the computer, trying to type with one hand. "You ordered that voice thing, right, DJ?"  
"Yes, I got your address from your wallet."  
"Oh, well, that will go to my flat, then. That's okay. I guess Mom or Betty can pick it up for me and bring it here. Did you have it sent overnight?"  
"Yes. Do you want to call Mama or Grandmama to see if it came?"  
"No, that's fine. I'm sure if it's already been delivered there, they'll bring it back with them. I think I'm going to try and just do a video chat for now. I need some stuff sent over from my old place in New York.  
Can you help me do this? I'm trying to set it up for Mode there and I guess, Amanda could do it if she doesn't mind…oh, crap! I always forget, she's not there, anymore!"  
He had already signed on to the video chat for his 'old' desk and was surprised to see Marc sitting there, "Well, look what we have here, is Willi out and you've suddenly taken over my old desk, now, Marc?" Daniel saw Marc jump slightly, unaware that he was on video.  
"Oh! Hey, Daniel! What are you doing? Oh, my God...what is all that stuff on you? Did you and the human burrito try to mate and she attacked you? Dear Lord & Taylor, you should see a doctor or something, Daniel! That might be serious!"  
"I was in a car accident, you idiot! And I'll thank you to shut up about Betty, she's..."  
Marc raised one eyebrow."Yeesss? She's what, exactly, Daniel? Your lovah? Like everyone on this side of the Atlantic who ever saw you two DIDN'T already know that, dahling!  
That is so yesterday's news to everyone but you two idiots! But, how are you and Miss Chi Chi Chunky going to do the cha cha cha now that you look like something that came out of an Egyptian tomb, Daniel?"  
"You know what, Marc? First of all, none of your business, second my nephew is right here, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say stuff like that, and third, don't worry your pretty little head about Betty and me, okay? We'll be just fine. Listen, I need you to do me a favor.  
I need you to talk to Amanda and ask her if she would mind sending over a list of things from my flat there? I uh...think she still has a key and tell her I'll text or email her what I need.  
She can go in The Closet and get whatever she wants. As long as you're not already letting her do that on a daily basis, anway?"  
"NO! Of course not! So...Daniel. Are you ever coming back to New York? I notice you called it your flat. Sounds to me like you're getting pretty comfortable there in the land of Beckham and all things Royal."  
"Yeah, well. I did already have some decent job prospects lined up and even went on an interview before the accident. But, since this is going to take a few months to heal, I have to put that on hold for now.  
So, I decided I'm going online to sign up for some graduate classes right now. While I'm just sitting around, I figure I might as well knock out some credits towards my Masters.  
I think I only need about twelve more credits for my MBA, so..."  
"Oh, my God, I'm sorry, I just fell asleep. You sound just like your lover. You must be transBettifying! Step away from the..."  
"Knock it off, Marc! I don't want to hear you trashing Betty anymore, you got it? You happen to be talking about my...fi...uh girlfriend, okay?  
I don't appreciate it. You're being rude when Betty's never been anything but nice to you, God knows why. Hell, she even helped you with your mom to finally come out of the closet! How can you continue to be such an ass?"  
Marc looked contrite as he swayed back and forth, whining. "I'm only teasing, Daniel. Betty knows she'll always be my little Chimi-changa. Speaking of which, you'd better be good to her and not break her chubby little heart, player. She loves you, even though you're a pig."  
"I know, Marc. You don't have to worry about that, though. I love her, too."  
"Aww...Well, I think I'm going to go puke, now, Daniel. I'll give Mandy your message. One thing, though. Does Betty know that your ex-fun buddy still has the key to your apartment as we call them over on this side of the ocean?" He cocked one eyebrow.  
"Uh...no. Probably not. I don't know. Why, what's your point, Marc? Look just tell Amanda, okay? It doesn't really matter. I'm probably going to be selling the place soon, anyway now, so..."  
He put up one hand, "Alright, Daniel. Your wish is my command, mighty leige. Have fun surfing porn sights for the next few months.  
Oh, and tell Betty I said...I...miss her. This place is so boring without her to make fun of, and I guess you, too, Daniel...it just isn't the same without the dumb and dumpy couple here to watch."  
He smirked, "I'll tell her, Marc. And I'm not dumb, and she is most definitely NOT dumpy, you little twerp! Take care. Enjoy the desk. Bye!"  
At Daniel's place, Alexis used his key to open the door and let her mother go in ahead of her. Claire looked around and literally gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.  
"Oh, good Lord! It looks just the same. He...never brought her here." She seemed to become weak with a flood of emotion and Alexis came around to her side to help steady her.  
"Mom, are you okay? What is it?"  
Claire looked around carefully, and with eyes full she whispered, "If Fey Somers had set one foot in here, I'd know it. She would never have allowed Bradford to keep things like this, like I decorated them.  
She would have insisted on re-decorating. I'm sure of it." She walked into the kitchen and carefully took down the decanter and goblets, smiling sadly as she fingered them individually with lovng care, her eyes filled.  
Alexis eyed them, "Wow! Those are really beautiful, Mom. You got them for Dad for like a wedding present or something?"  
"Yes. I did. A groom's gift. He bought me that lovely ruby necklace. It was almost like the gift of the Magi, or at least our version of it.  
Your father wasn't making all that much money then and we couldn't really afford much, but we had both saved up a little and I ordered this set for him. The man who made them was so kind, he gave it to me for practically nothing.  
I know it must have cost him more to make than he charged me for it. He said he wanted to have us come back on our fiftieth wedding anniversary and pay him what they were really worth. I sent him a check several years ago, before your father died, when I ran across the receipt and felt guilty for getting such a deal.  
I have no idea how your father was able to afford that necklace he got me, either. He may have gotten it at a pawn shop or something. That's the only way I can think of that he could have afforded something so valuable back then."  
She looked at Alexis, suddenly smiling, "You know, dear. You were conceived here."  
Her eyes widened, "I was? Whoa! You need to tell Daniel so he can have the place blessed by a priest before he manages to get Betty pregnant or something."  
"Alexis!" She glared at her meaningfully.  
"Mom. What? I'm just saying."  
"I understand what you told your brother this morning. But, frankly, he may have had a point when he mentioned the jealousy thing, too, perhaps. Don't you think? You haven't been seeing anyone lately, dear?"  
She shook her head, smiling, "You never beat around the bush, do you, Mom? No, I'm not seeing anyone. The minute they find out I'm a freak they usually head for the hills. In any language, what I am is not particularly sexy or feminine to most men, evidently."  
Claire hugged her, "Dear, that's just because you haven't met the right man, yet."  
"To be honest, I'm beginning to wonder if there IS a right guy for me, Mom."  
"There is, darling. You've just haven't met him yet."  
"Or maybe I did and I didn't notice cause I was still a guy myself."  
As Betty came home to her flat, she saw Daniel asleep on the sofa, with his laptop open and the fingers of his right hand still on the keyboard.  
She smiled and waved to DJ, who was mindlessly watching television, as he texted. She crooked her finger at him and motioned him to come into the kitchen with her.  
"Hey, DJ. How did mister player and Daniel do today, just hanging out?"  
He grinned at her calling him 'player', "Fine. Mama just called and said they should be here in an hour or so. How was your work today, Betty?"  
"Good. Busy, but good. Do you still like cookie dough ice cream? I know you used to. I had to go to two stores to find some. I know your uncle really likes it. He always steals mine."  
DJ's eyes lit up as she handed it to him. "Ooh, thank you, Betty. Yes, I like it very much. Daniel and I used to eat it a lot in New York. Um...listen.  
A woman, your neighbor, she came here today. She said she was your friend, but Daniel said not so much. But, I didn't know, so I let her in. She um...comme ce dire, 'hit' on Daniel, I think."  
Her eyes got big. "What? Marissa? What do you mean? What did she do?"  
"He was in the bathtub and she went in and started talking to him. He yelled at her to get out. But...she didn't listen. She left her card for business. She wanted to be Daniel's nurse, but he said no. He doesn't like her hitting on him, I think.  
Because he told that Marc in New York you are his girlfriend and he yelled at Marc, too when he said mean things about you at first, until Marc he admitted he misses you and told Daniel to be kind to you. I know Daniel, he loves you very much, Betty."  
She smiled and hugged DJ, "Thank you, DJ. You're sweet, honey. Have one bowl of ice cream, if you want. Just don't tell your mom I let you eat it so close to dinner time."  
"It's fine, Betty. I'm not a kid anymore. I can eat like a cow and still be hungry a minute later."  
She giggled, "I think you mean eat like a horse, DJ. The expression is eat like a horse, not a cow."  
"Are you sure? Horse is it? That does not seem right. A cow is much fatter than a horse. So many American sayings do not make any sense to me." he shook his head.  
"Hey, save some for me. I've got to eat like a cow, too! Although, unfortunately, I don't have my nephew's metabolosm anymore. Maybe I'll figure out some way to exercise just my right side and do one-sided jumping jacks or something, so I don't end up looking like one of those poor guys they have to get a crane to lift out of the house by the time I'm able to crack out of these."  
Betty looked at him sympathetically, as she came and sat by him, giving him a quick hug and kiss, as she dropped her work bag next to the sofa. "Poor baby. Are you sick of your casts already, Daniel? I thought you were doing a little better last night about the whole depression thing, saying you were going to take some classes, and do a lot of research on a career and..."  
He hugged her waist and kissed her cheek, whispering, "Yeah, that's because we just finished, Betty. It's called post-coital bliss, you know? You could have gotten me to agree to anything right then. I was in la-la, Betty land."  
She giggled, "I see. I'll have to remember that next time, now that I know when the best time is to ask you to do something you don't want to do."  
He rolled his eyes and squeezed her gently, "Please. Like all girls don't already know THAT!"  
She narrowed her eyes, "So, what's this about my stupid neighbor coming here and sexually molesting you in the tub? Do I need to go give her a taste of good old yankee 'back off my boyfriend' bitch?"  
He grinned, seemingly delighted that she was so jealous, "Whoa, Betty, wow, I don't think I've ever seen you quite so...uh jealous before. It's kinda hot, babe. But nothing happened; she just walked in the bathroom as far as the door.  
I doubt she could see much, really. It was just embarrassing because I couldn't get up and throw her out, that's all. She said something about losing her job and doing home health care or whatever.  
She asked about me needing a nurse, and I told her I had my mommy and Betty here to take care of me." he flashed his sweetest smile, and batted his eyes.  
She laughed, "That's right, baby boy. You've got us to protect you from skanky girls like her who take advantage of a guy when he's in casts and can't defend himself." she still seemed agitated.  
He smiled again at her attitude, and started kissing her neck, "I like you all protective of me, Betty. Very cute."  
She tried to maintain her composure "Well, I'm used to you threatening to fire or actually firing any guys you were jealous of, Daniel. Turn about is fair play, I guess. I just think that was wildly inappropriate of her. In what universe is it okay for her to walk in on you in the bathtub?"  
He whispered, "It's okay, Betty. I think she just thought she was being funny, that's all. She said something about us having rough sex...I don't know. Maybe it's one of those British humor things that I just don't get.  
Don't sweat it. I'm not going anywhere near her. Next time, she won't get in the door. Poor DJ just didn't know who she was, that's all. It's fine. So, how was work?"  
"Good, for the most part. I'm sorry I'm home so late. I had to try and get caught up a little. Listen, I hate to ask you, but Lindsay wants me to make this piece about us longer.  
I did promise him like at least 900 words, and it's less than 600. So...if you don't feel like writing anything maybe I could take a quote from your Mode letter or something. What do you think?"  
"Well, you could. I'll be glad to give you the copyright release if you want. But, when do you need it by?"  
"Honestly, like yesterday. But I guess I could stretch it till tomorrow evening."  
"I could definitely use a project to keep me from going insane. I'd like to take a pass at it tomorrow if you want, Betty. So, you need at least 300 more words? No problem."  
"Oh, no...don't say that!" she teased.  
"Hey, come here, you. I missed you like crazy today. I already got spoiled over our little Irish holiday and then having you all to myself yesterday. I kept thinking about you and getting all excited.  
I think DJ thinks I get a hard on watching wiggles or whatever the hell crap he had on TV today, while I was on the computer."  
She laughed, "I seriously doubt your sixteen year old nephew watches the wiggles, Daniel. If he did, I'd be thinking we'd need to searching his room for drugs.  
So, what were you looking on the computer at-I hope not anything dirty, Daniel. He is smart enough to check your history, I'm sure. You don't want to set a bad example."  
"Why does everybody just assume I'm going to be sitting here looking at porn all day? I'll have you know I was researching online MBA programs and trying to track down that poor girl, you know Arthur's daughter, who's now an orphan?  
The hospital won't release her name to me. Do you think you could throw LIndsey's name around a little and get it for me, Betty? Meade means nothing here. Even our UK offices are only known for Mode. Nobody really makes the connection to us."  
"I might be able to do some research for you and find out, Daniel."  
"I wanted to see about attending his funeral. Or at least sending something. I feel so responsible."  
"You weren't the one who ran the red light, Daniel. Obviously, you were just a victim, like Arthur was." She indicated his casts.  
"Well, but I got to walk away. Okay, maybe hop away, but still, I'm alive, anyway. I really can't help thinking I met him for a reason.  
I just thought if I could help her out financially, maybe that would make me feel a little better, like I wasn't just some bad luck for the poor guy, but I actually helped his daughter get into college or whatever, I don't know." he put his head down.  
Her eyes filled, as she took his face in her hands and pulled him down to her for a long, deep kiss. "You are really something special, Mister Meade. You know, you're suddenly looking really tired. I think I'm going to have to help you hop into the bedroom and have my way with you."  
"That's definitely the best idea I've heard all day, Betty." He yelled into the kitchen, "DJ, don't eat all the ice cream, Betty just heard a great knock knock joke she's going to tell me in the bedroom."

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Therapy

Chapter 23: Therapy  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Ugly Betty!  
Daniel and Betty reluctantly said goodbye to Alexis and DJ. Daniel almost wished he could 'steal' his nephew and have him stay and help him during his recovery.  
"I wish you were out of school for the summer; it was sure nice having you help me out, DJ." he hugged him, resigned to the fact that his time with DJ would always be too brief.  
Alexis hugged her brother, "Listen, you know I love you, right? Even though you're a pain in the ass sometimes, and giving you a hard time is just too damn easy. I really want you to take care of yourself. Stay out of cars headed for trucks and be careful hopping around, okay? Don't break something else chasing Betty around.  
I don't want to have to come here and kick your ass. Be nice to Betty, too. She's good people. You're damn lucky to have her. I don't know anybody else who would put up with you.  
Maybe...DJ could extend a weekend soon. We'll definitely see you guys for the holidays. Unless you decide to hop on a plane to Paris!" she kissed his cheek and winked.  
"Funny! Yeah, thanks for letting DJ be my wing man, sis. I'm really going to miss him. I...love you, too. I appreciate you guys coming here."  
After they left, Claire came in to the living room, where Betty was snuggled against Daniel on the sofa. She smiled, and went to sit on the chair.  
"So, after seeing your place today, Daniel, I have an idea, if you're up to it. I think I'm going to re-decorate it for you. As much as I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, and especially once I realized your father could never have taken anyone there, he just couldn't bring himself to sell it, it needs to be updated for a new generation.  
I thought maybe I could do that as a little project to keep me busy in the evenings, when Betty gets off work. It has the added benefit of allowing you two some privacy and giving me an alternate outlet from playing mommy/nurse to you, Daniel. What do you think?  
Do you trust me? I promise, I'll consult you on all the big decisions, like colors and furniture choices, etc. Although, I do believe my tastes in art exceed yours in sophistication. I can't believe that monstrosity you had in your bedroom at the loft in New York-hideous!" she made a face.  
"I know! Wasn't it? I'm so glad I wasn't one of Daniel's little playmates he brought there. It would have given me the creeps seeing that stupid woman on the wall like that!" Betty smirked.  
"Hey! Let's not gang up on the poor crippled guy, here! I'm a guy! What do you expect? Anne Geddes' stuff or pictures of puppies and kittens on my wall? At least I didn't have Little Mermaid sheets!"  
Betty blushed as Claire started laughing, "Seriously? Wait...how did you know what kind of sheets Betty had on her bed in New York, Daniel? Are you talking about her apartment in Manhattan or her home in Queens?  
How long does this go back between you two? I understood you only started seeing each other since you followed Betty here, Daniel?"  
Betty was turning bright red, as was Daniel, who was hanging his head, somewhat shame-faced, "No, Mom, you don't understand.  
I...didn't, I wasn't sleeping with Betty then or anything. It's just that one night, she came and got me from a bar after the whole Sofia thing had started and she let me sleep it off in her bed in her dad's place in Queens."  
"I slept on the couch!" Betty piped in. "I mean, my papi was there. He and Hilda helped me put Daniel to bed and my papi took care of him the next day when I went in to work. Nothing happened! I mean, he was pretty repulsed by me then, anyway, so nothing would have happened, I'm sure, even if we'd been alone."  
"Hey! Come on, that's not really fair, Betty. I wasn't repulsed by you. Okay, maybe a little by your outfits, but, come on, that poncho, honey? Even you've got to admit, it was really ugly!"  
Betty shook her head, "Well, excuse me, mister GQ, not all of us were born with a silver spoon in our mouth and with Armani diapers! Oh, sorry, Mrs. Meade, I mean Claire!" she blushed, fearing she had offended Daniel's mother.  
"Mom, tell her I never had Armani diapers! I'm not that spoiled!"  
Claire smiled and put up her hand, "Leave me out of this, you two. I think you both need to conceed that when you first met, you were both very different people.  
But, as you've gotten to really know one another, you've developed much more similar tastes and attitudes...and perhaps fashion sensiblitilies.  
Betty, dear, not to side with my son here, but you must admit, after working at Mode for four years, you do have a much more adult sense of style. Plus, you grew up. You got your braces off and learned to style your hair. You have definitely blossomed into a lovely young woman.  
But, believe me, you were turning this guy's head the moment he met you. I remember, right after Alexis revealed herself to us and the press, I took her out shopping for tons of new outfits, we had a glorious day, just out with the girls.  
I was so thrilled to find my child wasn't dead-boy or girl. She kept asking me about you, Betty. She said she had never seen Daniel so attentive to a woman before.  
He seemed to hang on your every word and to be very concerned about you. She said it really touched her to see how much he seemed to care about you.  
So, please don't mistake Daniel's affections only for a typical male reaction to your recent physical transformations, Betty. He's loved you for a long time. He was just too stupid to know it. It took you leaving him to get his attention.  
Although, he was always plenty jealous of all your boyfriends, too. I thought surely you two would get a clue when he punched Matt at the UN. Everyone at Mode was talking after that little incident!"  
"Hey! Mom, thanks for the help here, but I think I'm better off speaking for myself. I don't really know that you're helping me much."  
"There is no help needed, Daniel. We're not arguing. I just said I know I repulsed you when we first met, that's all."  
"Well, you didn't. Mainly, I knew myself, Betty. I was freaked out, waking up in your bed like that. I was afraid of the consequences if we had slept together. I wouldn't have wanted to hurt your feelings, that's all."  
"Right, because the way I looked then, we would never have had a real relationship."  
"Do you really think we need to fight about this, Betty? Or are you trying to pick a fight because you don't want to tell me something?  
Because I know you pretty damn well, honey. And it seems to me, that you are trying really hard NOT to tell me something that happened."  
"I hate it when you know me, Daniel."  
"Yeah, so, what is it, Betty? Spill it."  
"I...saw someone today at Mode UK when I went to see if your mom was still there after I left work. I just missed your mom."  
"Who did you see? That Reggie guy? It was him, wasn't it? What did he say?"  
"He, uh...kissed me."  
"What?" Daniel and Claire both had their mouths open.  
Betty was using her hands to talk, and was trying to not speak too fast. She was clearly upset. "Yeah, I didn't see him come up behind me, and he turned me around and said, 'surprise' and kissed me before I knew what was going on.  
Then, I pushed him away and said, what do you think you're doing? And he started yelling at me for giving him a fake name and number and I told him I didn't even really remember him and I was sorry, but I was seeing someone, so he needed to forget he met me."  
Daniel's eyes were wide and he was angry, "I knew it! I told you the guy was all into you, Betty. What the hell did you do to him that night with Christine, when you supposedly were pining for me?  
Just because he's got blue eyes, you thought he was me, or something? I'm sorry, but no matter how drunk you were, that's a pretty flimsy excuse! Clearly, you must have done something to the guy. I could tell he was all puppy dog for you. Jeezus, Betty!"  
She was in tears, "I'm sorry, Daniel! I told you before, I don't remember doing anything other than singing karaoke and getting drunk with Christine. I thought the whole kissing thing was just something I dreamt. I don't even remember having a conversation with Reggie."  
"Are you sure you didn't have sex with the guy? Apparently, you were doing all kinds of things you conveniently don't remember."  
"NO! I'm not you, okay? I don't have sex with random strangers I meet in bars. No matter how good they are at kissing."  
"What? You remember him enough to know he was a good kisser? Are you kidding me?"  
"I...didn't mean that the way it sounded. I just meant that...I didn't remember anything about him, I just remembered kissing someone, that's all.  
As far as I knew then, it could have been you. I mean, in four years you never once even tried to kiss me, so how would I know what you kissed like? Plus, it took you like a month to get your head out of your butt and come talk to me!"  
"No, don't try to wiggle out of this, Betty. That's not what you said, you said he was a good kisser. So, clearly you remembered kissing the guy."  
"Yes, I guess so, but...I really thought he was you, Daniel! I was so miserable! You just cut me off. You didn't take my calls, you never even said goodbye to me. I hated that I hurt you so much when I left.  
I cried almost every night after I came here, knowing I had hurt you, thinking I was never going to hear from you again. Do you have any idea how terrible that made me feel? I went out that night because Christine insisted on dragging me out to try and get over you.  
But she was right there. She saw the guy hitting on me, and she said she was never going to let him take me home or anything. In fact, it was her idea to give him a fake name and phone number. I doubt I would have remembered my number at that point, anyway."  
Daniel's head was down, "Yeah, I guess you probably would have gone home with him, if she hadn't pulled you away."  
She had been contrite, and in defense mode, but her eyes flashed now, "Probably! Daniel, you were an ass for breaking my heart like that!  
Yes, I should have had the guts to tell you I was leaving sooner, but you didn't exactly handle it like a grown-up, either, you know! You acted like a five year old child, burning things and then trying to bribe me, but never having the guts to tell me you loved me!  
Why wouldn't I leave? Was I supposed to just stay in New York and watch you sleep with every tramp that walked by and just be your sweet, loyal, faithful, little Betty who never complained or never got jealous?  
You have no right to lecture me on getting drunk or sleeping with strangers or in this case, just kissing them, for God's sake! I hadn't heard from you. I still didn't hear from you for three weeks after I met this guy. So, as far as that goes, I could have already been in a relationship with him by the time you got around to coming here."  
Claire had taken her book and IPod into her bedroom with her, knowing she needed to let them 'discuss' things by themselves.  
They sat in silence for what seemed like forever to Betty. After ten minutes she looked at him, and they both said simultaneously, "Betty/Daniel, I'm sorry!" They laughed at talking over one another.  
"You're totally right, babe. I was a big idiot for taking so long to let you know how I felt. I'm surprised Mom didn't say 'I told you so' to me. She kept trying to get me to admit how I felt about you, but I was so stubborn and just stupid, I guess. I didn't want to admit to falling for you until you were actually gone and it was too late.  
Then, I didn't know what to say. I was scared to call, afraid you'd hang up on me and that's how things would end. I tried to forget about you, babe. I couldn't make myself do the job anymore, though.  
Without you, I was just going through the motions. I know how stupid I was for taking so long to put the pieces together in the first place and then when I finally did, for not having the balls to come talk to you right away.  
I was just scared. As long as I didn't face you, I could pretend you were coming back or that we would somehow work things out. But, the minute I talked to you and put my cards on the table, I was so scared that that would really be it, that if you didn't see me that way or that you were just over dealing with me and my crap and I couldn't stand the idea that there was no hope for us.  
I see now how stupid that was, because the longer I took to come talk to you, the more I risked something like...the thing with Reggie happening. It's totally my fault, Betty. I'm sorry I got mad. I just could never stand to see you with other guys.  
You know that. Hell, you saw how I acted when I thought Becks was coming onto you. Well, I guess he sort of was. I always hated all those guys sniffing around.  
As much as I almost felt sorry for this guy, I also wanted to punch his lights out for kissing you. But, listen, promise me you'll stay away from him, okay? He struck me as the stalker type. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help in protecting you right now, Betty. You didn't tell him who you really were, did you?"  
"No. I left right away. He still doesn't know me. I just told him I wasn't interested and that I had a boyfriend. Hopefully, that will be enough."  
He put his arm around her, "I'm really sorry for yelling at you, Betty. You know I love you, right? I feel like such a useless lump right now, and it kind of hurts to think about you being out there, around all kinds of guys who can actually walk around and be a real man for you.  
As much as I like you on top, it sort of annoys me that I have to let you even do all the work there, too, you know? I mean, talk about emasculating! Everybody at Mode always knew you were the smart one. Now, I just feel so useless. Like I'm not even a real man."  
She kissed him, and took his face in her hands, "Daniel, stop, please. First of all, this is temporary! Think about the poor soldiers and things that come home from the war, permanently paralyzed. You'll be recovered in a few months and back to chasing me around and throwing me up against the shower wall again before you know it!"  
He smiled, "I knew you liked that move in Ireland, Betty! I just miss...well, sorry, you're right. I'm lucky. There are so many guys who have to deal with this for the rest of their lives. I can tough it out for a few months. I'm so lucky to have you, sweetie.  
I do really enjoy you being on top, don't get me wrong. You're very good, Betty. Plus, I've been reading up on a lot of really fun ways we can make the best of our situation. It can be like how a blind guy smells better or whatever, it can help us appreciate different things, I think." He had started to kiss her shoulder and had his arm behind her back.  
She looked up with her eyes wide, "Daniel, did you just unhook my bra?"  
He grinned,"Yep. One-handed. Totally nailed it. I told you I had skills, Betty. I was thinking a lot about stuff I can do with only one hand and I think if you're not too mad at me, maybe I could try to beg your forgiveness? There's some really creative stuff I thought of trying. You just need to be open-minded. Oh, and bring some ice."  
She eyed him suspiciously, "Daniel, you have way too much time on your hands! I'll be glad when you start your classes. Oh, by the way, did you finish the story? Do you have my three hundred words, or were you too busy looking at sexual positions today?"  
He motioned with his hand to the laptop. "Look under Betty & Daniel Story" in my documents on the desktop. See what you think, smarty pants. I'll have you know, I spent three and a half hours doing that, and only one looking at the information on sex." he smiled.  
She looked at his computer and found the file. She read it to herself, looking at him a few times, and smiling.  
"The Guy's Point of View-How I Fell for Betty by Daniel Meade"  
"What can I say? Betty was so hot for me when she first met me that she ran into a glass door! True, sort of! But, unfortunately, after that, I don't think she was too impressed with me. In fact, after reading her trash me in her part of this story, I must say, 'Ouch! Betty!' I guess she's right, though. I was a totally spoiled, entitled jerk when she first met me four years ago.  
But I have changed. Don't get me wrong, Betty has changed, too. She has gotten even more beautiful, and smarter (she loves me, for one thing!) True, she may not have been the typical fairy princess when I first met her.  
But I never saw a girl who could rock braces and glasses, not to mention her crazy wardrobe choices and still manage to get me looking past all the anorexic models in a room and checking her out. She's always been my cute little ray of sunshine.  
But, back to me (hey, I said I was narcisistic, right?). I was mister player four years ago. I had girls throwing themselves at me and thought I had it made. I was with a different supermodel every night of the week. Literally. Every guys' fantasy, right?  
So, what did I have to complain about? Nothing, really, except for the fact that my dad and everyone else thought I was a big loser, (and they were right). Plus, there was no love, no real connection with any of these women.  
So, when I tried to actually do my job, I got saddled with Betty. This mousy little girl from Queens. I fought it and was a total jerk to her. I'll never forget her standing in the street, yelling at me, telling me what a big douche I was for being mean to her.  
I loved that she stood her ground with me and didn't cut me any slack. She never did. She always called me out when I was being an idiot,which was quite a lot! She has pushed me and pulled me sometimes literally into being a man.  
I can't believe how lucky I am that she loves me. I am so nuts about her, I can barely think straight most days. But, I know one thing, I'm a much better man for having met Betty Suarez. I owe everything I ever accomplish in life to how she changed me and made me want to 'be a better man.' (sorry, Jack, I couldn't resist).  
Now don't get me wrong here, I know there is a school of thought out there, that says a girl should just accept a guy how he is and not try to change him.  
I agree with that. And on a lot of levels, Betty has always accepted me how I was. She really didn't tell me to stop being a player. She set me up half the time. She did a lot that I know she didn't like just to help me. She never tried to change me. I did that myself.  
I just saw how she lived her life, how kind she was to her friends and family. And me, once she had forgiven me and became my friend. So, she changed me by loving me just how I was and by encouraging me, being my cheerleader, and telling me how great I was before I believed in myself, she believed in me.  
Just like I believe in her and in us. She mentioned the Soul Mate thing. Nobody gets me like Betty. I hope she knows I see her as my Annum Cara-cuz I do. I love her more than I can say."  
Betty smiled, "I like it. Daniel. A lot. I think maybe I'll use it."  
She grinned as he rolled his eyes, "So...you said you had some fun ideas to try? Let's get you to bed, player. You can show me your 'skills'."

Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Finding Your Way Back

Chapter 24: Finding Your Way Back  
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty!  
Daniel hopped in the way he had learned in the past three weeks since his accident. He wanted desperately to use crutches and he had tried, but with a broken wrist, it had proved next to impossible.  
He had tried just leaving the crutch on his left side under his arm, but without being able to use his hand he just couldn't manage it. So, hopping it was.  
He got tired of waiting around for his mom or Betty to help him get from point A to point B constantly and he was certain they must be really tired of it, no matter what they said.  
He had stopped complaining, though, growing tired of hearing his own voice drenched in self-pity. He had made progress in finding out the name and number of Arthur's daughter, Miranda.  
He didn't really know what to say to her or how to tell her how sorry he was for what had happened to her father. So, he settled on sending her a large check along with a letter. He went back and forth and worked on it over the course of a week, until finally, he showed it to Betty.  
"Betty, can you look at this and let me know what you think, please? I'm sick of reading it. I can't tell if it's any good or not."  
She smiled, taking the computer from him, "You finally finished the letter to Miranda? I'm proud of you, Daniel. You're sending her how much?"  
"Fifty."  
"Fifty thousand dollars? Daniel, that's like REALLY sweet and generous of you, honey, but are you sure she'll take it? I mean, think about it, she doesn't really know you. She might think you're trying to buy a wife or something."  
Daniel didn't correct her, but it was actually pounds, not dollars. He certainly knew from his days at Harvard how expensive a place like Oxford could be to anyone.  
He hadn't had to worry about money while he went. He knew she still would, but at least he wanted to give her some peace of mind. Her hard work in getting the grades to be accepted proved what a hard worker she was.  
"Betty! Come on, she's just a kid! I hopefully explained in the letter that she should not feel in any way obligated to contact me. I just wanted to help out in honor of her dad. I still feel like he died in my place or something, it's creepy.  
I feel like I have to do this in order to be able to get some peace. Otherwise, why did we talk and get to know each other and get along so quickly if it wasn't so I could help her?"  
She nodded and hugged him, "I keep forgetting how kind you are, Daniel. I know you would have helped my family more if I had let you.  
You already did so much for us, and for me over the years. It's just overwhelming sometimes. I forget what an incredible man you are."  
He rolled his eyes, "Thank you, Betty. But stop stalling, and tell me how bad my writing sucks. I need this to be a good letter."  
She nodded, "Okay. I'm sorry. I'll read it Daniel. By the way, it's how bad-ly your writing sucks, which it doesn't!" He rolled his eyes at her.  
She scrolled down and found the file, and began reading.  
To Miss Miranda Finney,  
You don't know me. But we have something in common. We both knew your father, Arthur. You for your lifetime; me, for only a few very special minutes.  
You see, I was in the cab as your father's last passenger when we were hit by the truck. I don't want to cause you any pain, in stirring up unpleasant memories. I just had to tell you how extremely proud of you your father was.  
He moved me with his description of you getting up early, and working so hard to keep up your grades, even when you had to work part-time to help out when your mom got sick.  
I guess this touched me even more for several personal reasons. First, I recently lost my first wife, Molly to cancer about a year and a half ago and we shared how hard that is to go on after experiencing such a loss.  
Second, I think I was reminded of my girlfriend, Betty. Her father was an immigrant to the United States (yes, I'm a yank, sorry.)  
He and Betty's mom had very little money when they arrived, but they raised two beautiful daughters. Then, sadly, Betty's mom also died from cancer when she was about your age.  
I think, as I listened to your dad brag about you, I could almost hear Betty's dad, bragging about her. Like you, she's always had to work really hard. She's smart, too. Though, apparently not too smart to fall for me, for which I'm very grateful.  
She has a great heart, just like her dad. He's been like a second father to me, especially since I lost my own not long ago. So, as I look back and read this it sounds like so much losing people you love. I think it's important to just remember how much they brought into our lives while they were with us.  
I felt so touched by your father's love for you and pride in you, I just knew that there had to be a reason for my meeting him and finding out about you.  
Please accept this small contribution to your education. Don't look at it as a loan or definitely not as charity. I just feel like I needed to offer something up to the universe in general for letting me meet such a great man as your dad was.  
Don't feel like you need to come thank me or anything. You don't even have to acknowledge this. Just use the money wisely, get your education and do some of the great things you were meant to do with your life.  
Don't let the sadness from losing your dad take over your life. I did that for a while after my wife died and believe me, it's a hard place to come back from. Finding my way back was really hard. I could have never done it without my family and Betty. Try to remember how much your dad loved you when he was here. In the end, I think that's really all that any of us have.  
I thought you should know his last words and thoughts were of you. Good luck. Have a good life, and thanks for sharing your dad with me if only for a short time.  
Daniel Meade  
Betty sighed softly and sat down next to him, then carefully hugged and kissed him.  
"I think it's really good, Daniel. I know you feel strongly about this and I support you. It's very sweet of you. You know my papi's crazy about you, too, don't you? You're like the son he never had. He brags about you sometimes like you were his son."  
Daniel grinned, "Really? That's interesting. Is that a hint?"  
"NO! Not at all, Daniel. I just meant, you know what you said about him being like a second father to you, that's all. YOU said it, not me!"  
He laughed, "Don't get all hysterical, Betty. You know I probably would have already manned up by now if I felt like a real man. I'm sorry, but I can't even think about getting on one knee right now, babe.  
But, in a few months, maybe, don't worry, we'll be talking. I won't let my little nurse Betty go unrewarded for all the TLC."  
She blushed, "Daniel, I was not saying anything about anything." She got up, turning bright red.  
Claire came in from the grocery store, so Betty ran to help her.  
After they had started putting the food away, she looked at Betty, "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something? I could go work on Daniel's place if you two need more time alone."  
Daniel laughed, "No, it's fine, Mom. Betty's just all embarrassed because I called her on trying to trick me into proposing and I told her I wasn't ready yet."  
"WHAT? You are crazy, Daniel! I didn't say one word about that and you know it! I think those pills have got you loopy or something! I'm going to go to my office and get some work done!"  
She stormed out, leaving Claire with her mouth open.  
"Smooth, Daniel. What did you say to the poor girl?"  
"Nothing. I just…I want so bad, sorry bad-LY to propose to her, but I can't until I'm walking again. I just hate being so helpless and useless! I know, I know, I'm taking classes and it's helping, but I still have so much time on my hands.  
I know I need to decide what to do, and at my age it's ridiculous, but I still don't really know. I think Betty's right, I must be going crazy!"  
"Well, first of all, you need to call her immediately, and apologize. It's obvious you're just feeling sorry for yourself, so you're taking it out on the one person you shouldn't be. The poor girl works so hard and then comes home and dotes on you, Daniel."  
"You think I don't know that, Mom? It's driving me nuts to see how hard she's working and here I sit like a big lump. I just don't' know how to fix it, how to change it other than to wait until I'm better."  
"What about the thing you were telling me about starting a foundation for paralyzed veterans, Daniel? You seemed really enthusiastic when you were talking about that last week."  
"Well, I just started thinking; I can't really empathize with those guys, just with a broken arm and leg. I'm definitely no hero. Just an accident victim."  
"You're only a victim if you let yourself be, Daniel. You can choose to do something with this time you've been given. Believe me, when you get to be my age, you'll see time is a precious gift that should never be wasted or taken for granted. Choose to do something positive with your extra time."  
Daniel had already been trying to call Betty several times, but it kept going to her voicemail.  
As his mother finished speaking, he nodded, and got a smile on his face as she finally picked up his call.  
"Betty? So, you're taking my calls now, that's a good sign. I was sick of listening to your voicemail."  
"What do you want, Daniel? Aren't you busy feeling sorry for yourself or trying to blame me…?"  
"Betty! Stop and listen to me for just a minute. You don't get it, babe. I was feeling really sorry for myself, you're right. I am really stupid and I know I was just teasing you because I know that's really where I wish I was right now.  
I am so ready to talk about making a commitment to you. I love you. More than I did even a few months ago, which I didn't think was possible.  
And I know I totally don't deserve your patience. Because I do realize I'm a lousy patient and you're a really sweet and sexy nurse who deserves far better than me. But, I'm still asking you to let me do this on my own terms."  
"Daniel, I just want you to stop putting words in my mouth, okay? Have I ever ask you for anything? I'm not telling you to…to…put a ring on it or anything, am I? I think you're just…"  
"I KNOW, I know it's me, Betty. I'm the one who…don't you think I'd give anything to ask you to marry me? I wish I was dancing with you at our wedding right now, honey.  
But I want to be able to take you in my arms and dance with you and make love to you and actually stand up with you, you know? So…just wait."  
"I didn't say I…you really feel that way, Daniel?" she smiled.  
"Well….yeah. Of course I do, Betty. I love you so much. You know that, don't you? I'm sorry if I don't show it enough. I'm really being selfish, I know. I'm way too much inside my own head with all this crap.  
Listen, come home, please! Where are you? I wish I could come scoop you up and carry you home right now. I would very much like to…" he remembered his mother was right in the kitchen.  
"Well, you know." he smiled, almost blushing.  
"I don't think I do, Daniel. Maybe you should tell me what you'd like to do to me once you're recovered. You know, you're over half way there, babe."  
"You just always have to do the pep talk, don't you, Betty?" he smiled, "Come home, please?"  
"Okay, Daniel."  
Claire finished putting away the food she had gotten. She went and kissed him on the forehead. "Do you need anything? I think the man is supposed to come and hang those drapes I ordered, so I'd better get going. I'll just take my bag and maybe spend the night there. I'm not sure how long it'll take him."  
"Mom. Are you sure? That's thoughtful of you to try to give me and Betty time alone, but I don't want you over there by yourself, either."  
"I won't be. Don't worry about me, Daniel." She had a glint in her eye.  
He looked at her suspiciously, "What? Mom, did you meet someone here? What's that look about? Care to enlighten your son?"  
"Not just yet, Daniel. For now, this is just for me. I'll let you know, when there is something to know. But listen to me, young man. You be very nice to Betty. You'd better not botch this up! She is so good for you.  
She's helped you far better than I ever could. You've become the kind of man I always hoped your father would turn into. Betty's much stronger and more patient than I ever was.  
Frankly, I know many women who would have given up on you, Daniel. But she never has. Not even when you so often gave up on yourself. Even when she came here, it wasn't because she didn't love you.  
On the contrary. It was because she did and it frightened her because she didn't have a clue that you wanted her, too."  
He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mom. Go…have fun with your new secret boyfriend or whatever. Is it the curtain guy?" he looked curious.  
She laughed and shook her head as she left, "You and Betty have fun, Daniel. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Daniel's Bag of Tricks

Chapter 25: Daniel's Bag of Tricks  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
Warning-lots of Detty mushy stuff! Ha!  
After begging and pleading for days, Betty finally persuaded Daniel to come out into the sunshine. Since London didn't specialize in too much sun, and a sunny day was a luxury, four days in a row were an outright miracle.  
"You know, if you don't get some fresh air and vitt-a-min D, luv, you are going to start looking like you belong in the next Twilight movie, Daniel! Let me help you out."  
He rolled his eyes, "I know, it's just such a pain in the ass. I worry I'm going to knock you down trying to help prop me up. I look like a deranged Easter bunny hopping around."  
"Well, maybe you should see if Cal still has the suit. You did look awfully cute with those whiskers, Daniel." she teased.  
"I'm sure he has pictures of me in it on his website or something. Anything to make me feel like an idiot for his personal amusement.  
Boy, do I not miss that guy! I used to think my dad was tough! He was a pussycat in comparison. So sorry for Tyler, actually.  
By the way, did I tell you I actually called him and had a pretty decent conversation?  
He might even come for a visit while Mom is here, so we can all get together in Europe, you know?" he couldn't help grinning down at Betty, waiting for her to give him that look of approval he so loved to see.  
There it was, "Oh, Daniel! That's so wonderful! I'm really proud of you, honey. I can't wait to see Tyler. Is he coming alone or with a certain blonde plus-one, perhaps?"  
He smiled, "Well, actually, yeah, he mentioned he might want to bring Amanda with him. She's claiming she's never been to Paris. But, I thought she actually had before.  
She probably doesn't know where it is." He looked down at her, "Are you...okay with her coming here, Betty?"  
She shrugged, "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"  
"Well, you know. Because of our history."  
"As long as it's just history, meaning in the past, I'm fine. You know she and I got pretty close before I left.  
I like Amanda fine. Besides, what's there to be jealous of? She's on Team Tyler now, right?" she couldn't resist teasing him.  
He laughed, "Yeah. I guess you're right. As long as you're on my team, I'm happy, Betty." he leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of her head.  
She slid her arm around his waist and helped him out to the small balcony. "See, we didn't even have to do the steps to get you outside. Now, doesn't that feel good to feel the sun, mister vampire?"  
"Yep. I's actually somewhat warm, even. Is that allowed here? I thought cold, windy, and rainy was the only weather allowed in England.  
It's definitely all I've seen since I've been here. It was decent that one day in Ireland. That was a fun trip."  
"Yeah." she got a faraway look. "I wish we could go back there sometime. It was amazing."  
"Well, it didn't hurt that we had some pretty mind-blowing sex while we were there." he smirked.  
"That's for sure." she sighed, making him laugh at her expression.  
"Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it, Betty. I was hoping it wasn't just that awesome on my side."  
"Actually, I think I'm the one who's supposed to be surprised, Daniel. Especially given you're such an expert in the subject, I guess I should feel flattered I made the cut, so to speak." she raised an eyebrow.  
"You did way more than that, Betty. Maybe the fact that you kept me in the damn friend zone for four years is partially what made me so hot for you, but I'm telling you, when it's me and you, baby, oh my god!  
I mean, not to brag, but I can usually um...hold out a LOT longer, you know?"  
"I think I can grasp the concept, yes." she gave him a look.  
"Yeah, but with you, I feel like a horny little eighteen year old or something.  
I have to try and think unsexy thoughts or I'll just lose it right away. You really drive me nuts, Betty. I mean it; in the best possible way, babe."  
"Thank you." She blushed slightly, as he pulled her onto his lap.  
Daniel held her face in his hand and hesitated at first, resting his head against hers, then pulled her in for a very tender kiss.  
"Uh, Betty?"  
"Mhmm?" she murmured, against his lips, still very much into the kiss.  
He looked into her eyes, "You remember the stuff in Ireland, with the Annum Cara and the soul mates, right?"  
"Of course." She stayed on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"I don't really know how to say this right. I just need you to know first of all, I'm so proud of you, for your launch tomorrow. I hate that I haven't been much use to you."  
She looked at him like he was crazy."Daniel! That is so not true. You know I couldn't have done half the things I did without you. I had my very own editor-in-chief here, at my beck and call, helping me all the time.  
You wrote several articles, really good ones I used in the first issue, you helped bounce ideas off me and you gave me lots of great insights into my staff. I've loved having you here.  
It felt like we were back at Mode, working together again, only way better, because when we finished working as a team, we...uh...played together pretty nicely, too."  
She smiled, leaning down to give him a deep kiss, keeping her arms around his neck, then running them through his hair.  
He smiled, then pushed away slightly, "I'm trying to talk to you, but you're definitely not making this easy on me, sweetie."  
"Sorry, Daniel. I just missed you. What were you trying to tell me?"  
He cleared his throat, "Well, uh...I love you. I don't really know exactly when I knew for sure, but when I came here, I had figured out that I thought I was in love with you, I just had to find out.  
I guess, really, the night I first took you out and had to rescue you from the bathtub eating your toe.  
You looked so damn cute, well, you looked hot naked, but then when you put on the robe and just laughed at yourself like you always do, I don't know, I just knew. I knew that night. God, I wanted you so bad right then.  
Then, you proceeded to torture me that night and when we did make love I could never imagine how amazing it could be with the one woman I really loved. You've changed me so much, Betty. I was such a total ass when I met you.  
I mean, I know I'm still far from perfect, but I'd like to think I'm a lot better guy because you cared enough to make me want to be better.  
In fact, I've finally figured out what I want to do when I 'grow up'. I want to start a non-profit foundation for people who have become paralyzed.  
I imagine there will be a lot of return vets, but I'd like to expand that to include non-military, too. People in accidents, like mine, or you know, Christopher Reeve, that kind of thing.  
I want to start it here, then maybe expand to other countries in Europe, maybe even the US.  
What I'd like to do is make it sort of like the Ronald McDonald House, where we offer support to the whole family, too. Not just help with the medical stuff, but therapy, job service, the whole nine yards. What do you think?"  
She kissed him passionately, holding his face in her hands, then slowly sliding her arms around him.  
"Whoa, I think we need to go inside, Betty. I don't know if British people are into exhibitionism, or not, but I don't want to totally piss off your neighbors. Except for that Marissa chick. Maybe we should put on a show for her."  
"I don't think so. She's already got some kind of crush on you. If she saw us doing stuff, it would just make her want you more."  
"Well, that's true, I guess." he smiled, as she hit him lightly on his 'good' shoulder.  
"Ow! Hey, watch it, Betty! Wait till I'm healed before you start abusing me. Can I lean on you, again, please? Like I have been since we met?"  
"Sure, sweetie. Anytime." She helped him inside.  
Once they were sitting on the bed, he looked at her, and said simply, "I love you, Betty Suarez."  
"I love you, too, Daniel."  
"So, listen, babe. I keep trying to ease into this, but, bottom line, I can't wait until we're at some super romantic setting.  
Just like I said to you that time before we made love the first time, I can't stop thinking about you. That's still true.  
It's always going to be true. I love you even more than ever, babe. You're such an amazing woman. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I know you're my soul mate or Annum Cara, my best friend in the whole world.  
I told you before, I can't live without you, Betty. I don't ever want to, either. I'm sorry I can't get on one knee right now, but I love you, so...will you please marry me?"  
He had slipped out from his pocket, two boxes. One blue box from Tiffany with a pear cut diamond engagement ring and another smaller box from the shop in Ireland, a simple platinum wedding band with the Mo Annum Cara inscription.  
Her eyes grew wide and she blinked back the tears, "Oh, wow! I can't believe you did all this. I...does your mom know?"  
He shook his head, "Nope. Nobody knows...yet. I wanted us to have this moment all to ourselves first. I am sort of hoping, 'Oh, Wow' translates in Betty language to yes?" he smirked slightly, as he held her around her waist, while she stood, trying on the engagement ring and admiring the wedding band.  
"Betty? Hello, honey? Still waiting?" he looked at her questioningly.  
She shook her head, and hugged him, "Of course, it means yes, you goof! God, I love you, Daniel! I really, really love you. And you really, really love me!" She covered his face with kisses.  
"Um, okay, Sally Field! Thanks, sweetie. Yes, I really, really do love you." he smiled.

Chapter 26: Chapter 26 The Big Day

Chapter 26: The Big Day  
Disclaimer: Still don't own anything  
Claire was in full 'mother of the groom' mode the minute she heard the big news in the morning, when she returned to Betty's flat, ready to help Daniel.  
Daniel teased his mother that in addition to publishing moguel, she should add 'wedding planner' to her resume.  
"You forgot interior decorator, Daniel. I can't wait for you to see what I've done to your place. That is: if you decide you are going back there.  
Have you and Betty discussed if you are going to be living here or there yet, after you're married?"  
He grinned sheepishly, "Honestly, we didn't talk about too much, period, Mom. At least, not yet. I mean, give us a break.  
I just proposed yesterday. The only thing I really had on my mind was practicing for the honeymoon."  
She rolled her eyes, "Well thank god, you at least have just ONE girl to focus all your uh...energy on.  
It was getting rather tedious trying to keep up with all your endless one night stands, dear. That reminds me."  
Daniel put up his hand, "Stop! Mom, before you start THE LECTURE, yet again, let me remind you, I take after you far more than Dad in a lot of ways.  
Yes, I admit, I...definitely got around before. But, you know ever since Molly, I've changed. I stopped bed hopping a long time ago.  
Besides, I can't even think about any woman other than Betty, Mom. You know better than anybody how much I love her, so...save the speech. We're good."  
She busied herself preparing breakfast and set down a cup of coffee in front of Daniel, drinking a cup for herself.  
"Daniel, I love you like a son."  
"Mom, I am your son. At least, that's what you've always told me!"  
She ignored him, "But, you have to know, you are more like your father than either of us would like to admit.  
Don't get me wrong; I loved your father very much. Believe it or not, he loved me very much, too.  
But that wandering eye of his and his need for power, for excitement...it destroyed his love or at least sidetracked us long enough for me to seek my comfort with alcohol and eventually, Cal and..." She stopped, sipping her coffee.  
Daniel looked at her curiously, "And? Was there some other guy you were seeing besides Hartley, Mom? God, just how MUCH did you both cheat on each other?  
No wonder you're worried about me being unfaithful! I guess it runs in the family, but believe me, I will never cheat on Betty, okay? I've been with plenty of women and none of them even comes close to how I feel when I'm with her."  
She patted his shoulder. "I believe you, dear. I think it's probably a good thing that you found Betty later in your life, and that you know each other so well. It will help when the storms come.  
And as wonderful as your love is, I'm sorry to tell you, storms will come, dear. You just have to be totally honest with each other and trust one another.  
If I couldn't set a good example for you, at least learn from my many mistakes...and your father's."  
He nodded, wondering if he should pursue his earlier question about a past lover she may have had.  
She seemed to have her thoughts elsewhere. He didn't know if she was in planning mode or what was going on exactly with her lately.  
After clearing the dishes, she helped Daniel get dressed and told him she would be out running errands.  
"I may go have lunch with your fiancee if she's free, Daniel. Any message you want me to give her?" she pursed her lips in a knowing slight smile.  
"Yeah. Tell her I love her and that if it were up to me, we'd elope. Sorry, but it's true. I'm going to talk to her myself soon, though, about tonight.  
Listen, about that, are you sure about this wheelchair rental thing? I'm really going to feel like such an invalid in a stupid wheelchair!"  
"Darling, you can't use crutches because of your wrist and you can't exactly hop around all night, so how else are you planing on getting around?"  
"I guess you're right. I just hate that I can't help Betty more. She's so wound up and nervous."  
"I'm sure you helped take her mind off her nerves when you proposed to her and uh...celebrated last night, dear."  
"Well, yeah. Hopefully." he gave his little boy smirk.  
As soon as Claire left, Daniel first texted Betty, "Can u tlk?" She called right away.  
"Hey, fiancee! Ooh, I like the sound of that, Daniel."she giggled.  
"I'm sorry, miss. Do I know you? Who is this fiancee person you're speaking of?" he did his best British accent.  
"Shut up, Daniel. You're not getting out of this one. I've got the rock you gave me on my finger to prove it!  
Oh, I got a call from your mom earlier, she wanted to know if I had any time today for lunch. Sounds like she's already got our whole wedding planned!" she laughed.  
"Good, let her, Betty. You've got your hands full right now. Don't even worry about wedding stuff until you get through your launch tonight, okay? One thing at a time, sweetie.  
Which brings me to why I called. To help. Send me any emails, or phone calls you need me to make for you.  
Any last minute stuff you still have on your plate. I'm ready and willing to at least do that much for you. So, this is your loving fiancee, reporting for duty, ma'am!"  
She laughed, "Yes, sir, private Meade! Atten-tion! Do twenty push ups and fifty situps!"  
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that right now, sergent Suarez. Not physically capable, but how about...fifty or so minutes of sex tonight after your launch, though?  
Does that sound good? I could maybe manage a one-handed foot massage, just for good measure."  
"That sounds heavenly, sweetie. And thanks, you're a life-saver! If you're sure you don't mind, I have about ten really urgent e-mails and five or so texts, plus at least nine or ten really important phone calls.  
Can I just email you my to-do list for today? They're in order of importance. I've already got my primary list in front of me and these are ones I just didn't know who to delegate to...because..."  
"Because you never learned to delegate. You always like to do it all yourself. I know, Betty. I've worked with you enough to know how tough you are on yourself.  
I do know you. I also think I can handle this. Please let me feel like I'm doing something to take the pressure off you."  
"Well, last night definitely relaxed me, Daniel." she said suggestively.  
He groaned slightly, "God, I swear, Betty, don't talk dirty to me, or I'll never get anything done. You're lucky I'm temporarily incompacitated right now.  
If I wasn't, I'd be there in your office right now, having my way with you on that huge desk of yours", he half-whispered, lowering his voice and sending chills up her spine.  
She shook herself, "Okay, um, thanks for that little image.  
Now, I'm never going to get anything done, mister, and I have way too much to do to fantasize about having hot office sex with you, Daniel. We never did get to do that, did we?"  
"Believe me, you are in so much trouble the minute I'm out of these stupid casts, baby."  
"Okay, okay. Focus, Daniel! I'm sending you my list now. Thank you so much for your help, sweetie. I love you.  
Believe me, I'm counting down the days till you get out of those casts, too. I'll talk to you later."  
He laughed, clearing his throat slightly, "Um, Miss Suarez, would you like a progress report of which tasks I've been able to complete by lunchtime?"  
She smiled, rolling her eyes, "Yes, please, Mr. Meade. I'd like that very much. Thank you for your assistance."  
"No problem-o!" he grinned.  
She laughed, "You're such an idiot, Daniel."  
"I love you, too, Betty. Bye, Boss."  
"That's right, big boy, just remember that." she teased.  
"Hey, you may be on top right now, hot stuff, but I've only got two and a half more weeks, then you're in for it, but good, baby. It will be MY turn to be on top, and we'll be standing up a lot, too.  
In fact, you're probably never going to be safe in the shower again once I'm up and about."  
She giggled, "Okay, Daniel. I get the picture. See you tonight, you perv!"  
Daniel accomplished most of the items on Betty's list fairly quickly and without too many issues.  
He even sent her a little 'progress report' with a smiley face wearing sunglasses, and found a picture of two thumbs up.  
Just as he was about to tackle the rest of the list, there was a knock on the door. He groaned.  
Getting up took a while, so he yelled out, "Hang on, I'm coming! Who is it?" All he could hear at first were stifled giggles.  
"Hello? This is Daniel Meade. Who's there?"  
After a few seconds of silence, he had gotten to the door and couldn't see out the peep hole due to his injuries, but he leaned against the door frame, "I'm not answering the door unless you identify yourself."  
Daniel was accutely aware that in his current condition he was at an extreme disadvantage should someone attack him. Finally, he heard a familiar,  
"It's us, Daniel! Hilda, and Bobby, papi, and Justin! Remember, you sent the Meade jet for us to come to Betty's launch tonight? We just got here, aye, are you gonna let us in, or what?"  
He swung open the door, with a big smile, "Hey, guys! I didn't know what time you'd be getting in!  
When did you leave? I wasn't really expecting you till later this afternoon. How was your flight? I'm so glad you made it. Betty's going to be thrilled!"  
He tried to hug them. They all looked at him, sympathetically. "Oh, Daniel. Honey, you look terrible! Betty was so worried about you after the accident. Come on, sit down, sweetie."  
Ignacio asked, "Do you have something in the fridge? I can make us all some lunch, Daniel. Are you hungry, son?"  
They all asked Daniel about his accident, and how he was feeling. They had lunch and talked for a bit.  
Then, Daniel said, "Guys, go watch tv, such as it is. Most British TV sucks to my way of thinking, other than a few shows.  
Take a nap or a shower, whatever, make yourselves at home. I've got a few calls and emails I need to make still for Betty, though, sorry. I volunteered to help her out a little.  
You know how she is, she never lets anybody help her do anything and she's so crazy busy right now."  
Justin brought in Daniel's laptop to the kitchen table, sitting down next to him.  
"Is there anything I can do to help AB, Daniel? Since we kind of interupted your flow, I'd be glad to help."  
"Sure, Justin, you know fashion, so there's a few sort of fashion-related emails you could probably answer actually better than your aunt, but don't you dare tell her I said that, okay?" he smiled and Justin sent the emails to his phone, so he could respond to them.  
"I know, Daniel. She's gotten SO much better, thanks to Mode and me, though, THANK GOD!" he smiled his megawatt smile.  
"So, Daniel, can you talk and email? I was curious how things are going with you guys. Any new developments I should know about?" he elbowed Daniel.  
Daniel made the motion of zipping his lips, "Sorry, Justin, you'll get nothing out of me. My lips are sealed. Or to use my phrase to the press, 'no comment'  
You'll have to talk to your aunt tonight AFTER her launch, okay? There might be some news then. We'll see." he grinned, raising his eyebrows.  
"Okay, Daniel. You're just lucky I feel so sorry for you being injured. I guess I'll let you off the hook for now.  
Austin bet me twenty dollars that you guys would already be engaged, but I said you were the kind of guy that wouldn't want to propose until you could actually get on one knee, that you were a very traditional guy, so that meant at least what three more weeks?"  
"Two and a half! Please, don't stretch it out any longer! I'm so dying here."  
There was a knock on the door. Daniel groaned and started to get up. Justin put his hand out, "I'll see who it is, Daniel. I take it you're not expecting anyone?"  
He shook his head. Justin went to the door and looked out, "It's some girl. She's blonde, kind of pretty, I guess. You sure you're not expecting anybody, Daniel?" The way he said that, with one eyebrow raised made Daniel flush.  
"NO! I don't know any blondes here...wait, ask her if it's Betty's neighbor, Marissa."  
Justin opened the door slightly, keeping the chain on, and sticking his face only partially out, "Are you Marissa?"  
"I surely am, young fella. And just who might you be? Is Betty home?"  
Daniel was suspicious, thinking she should know Betty would be at work. "Tell her she is and I have company, Justin. See if she just wants to leave a message for Betty or something."  
Justin was polite, "I'm sorry, but my aunt is at work right now. Do you want me to give her a message? We're all kind of recovering from jet lag here. We just got in from New York for Aunt Betty's launch tonight."  
"I plum forgot that was tonight, luv! Oh, she must be a wreck! Is Daniel there? Can I speak to him?"  
Daniel waved at Justin with his eyes wide, signaling that he did not want to talk to her.  
Justin nodded, "I think he's taking a nap right now, you know those pain meds really knock him out, I guess, plus he's resting up for tonight. Sorry, Melissa. I'll definitely be sure to tell AB you stopped by to wish her luck. Thanks! It was good to meet you!. Bye now!"  
Daniel smiled widely, as soon as Justin came to sit down, "Any other hotties you need me to get rid of for you, Uncle Daniel?" he raised his eyebrows.  
"All right, all right. She just is kind of stalker-ish. She came in here when I was in the bath tub and DJ didn't know better than to let her in. She sort of gives me the creeps, especially since I can't really fight her off right now.  
I was having visions of Kathy Bates in Misery or something. She was saying she wanted to be my nurse!"  
Justin's eyes got wide, "Yeah, I don't think AB would like that too much, Daniel."  
"Yeah, well, neither would I. Justin, listen, you know me. Do you think...oh, never mind. I sometimes forget how young you are. Forget it."  
"Daniel, please! I grew up with two women in the house and going to Mode all the time, including helping Marc with his pathetic excuse for a love life, but don't tell him I said that. I can handle whatever you ask me, I'm sure."  
"Well, when you look at me, do you see...somebody like my dad? I mean, I know you didn't really know him probably too much before he died."  
"Well, I certainly knew him by reputation and from listening to you and AB, Marc and Amanda all talk about him. I assume you mean, do I think you would cheat on my aunt like your dad, then?"  
Daniel shrugged and nodded, "Well, yeah. You really are Betty's nephew, huh? No beating around the bush."  
He made a face, "Why bother? I think it's always good policy to mean what you say and say what you mean. I think that's why I hated hiding who I was from my family so long. It felt like a lie. I hate lying.  
To answer your question, I think the Daniel from four years ago, I would never have wished on AB. You were a mess! You had a revolving door on your bedroom and you seemed to be kind of well... selfish.  
But after long term exposure to my awesome Aunt Betty, I'm happy to say, that Daniel is long gone. AB told us all about you helping that girl whose dad was your cab driver that died in the accident.  
She also said you were going to be starting a foundation for people who had become paralyzed and thier families.  
Those are not the actions of a man who is selfish or only into sex. I know you regret things you did and people you hurt. I also know just what a sweet guy you are, Daniel.  
If you weren't; my aunt wouldn't be so crazy about you. You will never know how much you helped me these past four years, either. You were like a dad to me when I was kind of in between father figures. I mean, I had Grandpa, and even Marc, eventually, but you were more like a dad.  
You were the one who not only bought us a Christmas tree the year we couldn't afford one, but you helped us decorate it. You made me feel like I wasn't a freak before my own father had learned to accept me.  
You were there for me when he got shot, too. You helped Grandpa, sending us all to Mexico. You obviously are in love with my aunt, which meant she was happier and that helped me, too.  
Does any of this answer your question? I trust you with my aunt's heart, Daniel. We all know you're a good man. You'd have to be, to deserve her."  
Daniel smiled, trying not to look as moved as he was. He licked his lips, and shook his head, waving Justin over for a half hug, "Thank you, Justin. I really appreciate all that. But NO one will ever really be good enough for your Aunt Betty, you know."  
"I know. But, you'll just have to do, I guess." he grinned. "I hear you like these?" he put up his hand to high five Daniel, as he grinned at him.  
"Hey, what's up over here, guys? Daniel, is soccer and that cricket stuff, their version of baseball the ONLY sport on TV?"  
"Well, there's rugby. It's pretty tough. You might like it. Here's the sports channel line-up. Let me see the remote, I'll program it for you."  
"Thanks, man. I'm tired, but man, that plane's pretty styling. I tried to sleep on it, but I was too wired. Now I feel like I'm dying."  
"You probably need some water. There's some bottled water in the fridge. Why don't you go try to lay down for a few hours so you're awake tonight?  
In fact, the keys to my place are right there on the counter, if one of you wants to go nap over there and we have two bedrooms here."  
"Thanks, Say, how's things going with Chipmunk and you? I guess since you moved in so quick, you must be doing pretty good, huh?"  
"I can't complain. Well, except for being slightly at a disadvantage, right now, obviously!" he held out his left arm and knocked on his leg cast.  
"Wait, Chipmunk? That's what you call my fi...girlfriend, Chipmunk? What's that about?"  
"Oh, she used to have the cutest little chubby cheeks, just like a chipmunk. Of course, she was blocking my action with Hilda at the time, so...I guess I wasn't too happy with her back then.  
She's really grown up, now, though. She got real cute. Just like her sister."  
"Yeah, I think so. But I'm biased, I guess, being in love with her and all."  
Bobby grinned, showing his dimples, "Yeah, tell me about it. You couldn't take your eyes off her at our wedding. I think I musta got twenty or more relatives asking me if you two were next. Especially when you caught the garter and she caught the bouquet."  
"I almost forgot about that. Yeah. I thought Amanda was going to rip Betty's hand off trying to grap it from her." he laughed.  
"I like how you were the one to get all red when you had to put the garter on Betty. I thought she was embarassed, but you were hilarious, man!"  
"Well, I hadn't even gone out with her yet. She was just my former assistant and friend. Things were...complicated, you know?  
Of course, it was before I knew she was thinking about coming here and I guess I was just starting to realize I had feelings for her."  
"After four years?" he shrugged, "I guess I'm not one to talk, though. I knew Hilda back in high school and I blew it then.  
She and I sort of went in different directions. I'm glad as hell she gave me another shot, though."

Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Save the Best for Last

Chapter 27 Save the Best for Last  
Hmmm….I know, I stole the song from "Willi". I couldn't resist. It's actually the second to last chapter, but it also worked with this bit of what do I call the first part of this chapter, Clandon, perhaps? Hope you enjoy. Claire has a lot of fans, other than me, I believe. Don't worry; there is plenty of Detty at the latter part of this chapter and most of the next (last).  
Claire Meade knew what her son (and daughter) must think of her now that her little 'secret' was out about her past in London. She had been 'entertaining' Brandon Geoffreys, the now semi-retired Creative Director at Meade UK that she had known from her previous years there. He had started his own company.  
Daniel had guessed correctly, there had been a brief affair. It had started quite innocently. He had just been a shoulder for her to cry on, a friend, when she first found out about Bradford's affair with Fey Sommers. They had worked together late one evening, back in the late sixties, just after she discovered she was pregnant with Alex.  
She was having a very difficult time trying to decide if she was going to stay with Bradford, she was so angry with him about Fey. She had confided in Brandon about Bradford's affair, since they had developed a close friendship, while she was working there, and before they knew it, things went from comforting to romantic. Claire knew she had to confront Bradford.  
She did so, and ended up telling him tearfully about her pregnancy. He vowed to end the affair with Fey and he kept his promise, for a time. Claire heard from Brandon several times after that. Once, he even came and found her at her office, pleading with her to leave Bradford and stay with him.  
She told him about her pregnancy and that she and Bradford had since reconciled, mostly due to the baby and that although she cared for him, she loved Bradford and thought she owed it to her marriage and unborn child to try and work things out.  
That wasn't the last she heard from him. She had continued to receive cards every year on her birthday and special occasions, wishing her well and asking after her family.  
Once, Brandon had even visited New York and attempted to change her mind about him, again. This was just after Daniel was born, and once again, Bradford had sworn off Fey (and several other secretaries he had been tempted by).  
She was flattered (and frankly, tempted by Brandon's persistence), but determined to stay the course with her first great love, in spite of his many dalliances.  
So, here she stood, surprised at her age, to be face to face with the same man she had rejected in favor of Bradford Meade.  
Rejected not once, but twice, and kept herself an ocean away from all these years. In fact, many times she had shied away from the opportunity to go to London, so she wouldn't find herself near him.  
Bradford had been her 'soul mate', in spite of his faults. She knew that and she was forever grateful for their two children and for the brief but sweet and satisfying reunion just before his death, in spite of all the heartache in between.  
However, these last few years since had been extremely lonely. She found her thoughts often strayed to those precious nights she had spent with Brandon and how bittersweet they seemed now, after all these years.  
"So, am I to assume by your invitation here after all this time, you haven't completely forgotten me, Claire?" he told her, as she invited him in to the "love nest" she had redecorated for her son.  
She smiled, blushing and took the roses he had brought for her, "My goodness, Brandon. I can't believe you remembered after all this time, I love yellow ones with red tips." She looked to find a vase to put them in as he came through the door and followed her into the kitchen.  
He stood behind her, silent as she put water from the sink into the vase along with the flowers. He put his hands on her shoulders and whispered, "You know what the colors mean?"  
She nodded. Still busying herself with the roses, she felt like a silly school girl, finding herself rather tongue tied, which was certainly not normal for her. She said quietly, "Friendship for the yellow, I believe, isn't it?"  
He turned her around to face him, then lifted her chin and smiled, "Yes. And the red tip means falling in love. Claire. Why did you finally after all these years, four kids and two dead spouses between us, invite me back here? Do you still…care?"  
She took a breath, and put her hands on his chest, nodding with a single tear through her smile, "Of course, Brandon. I never truly stopped caring. I think of our time together often. What about you? Have you totally forgotten about me? It's been a long time, as you said."  
He grinned, and she saw the young man he once was in that grin. "I'm here, aren't I? Of course I never forgot you. You are the one who rejected me, remember? I married, finally, yes. I loved Lizzy.  
But…not like I loved you. I never found anyone that I loved like I loved you, Claire. Now, you're really here. I can't believe it. Are you staying?"  
She shook her head. "I…don't know, Brandon. I have a life in New York. Or at least, I did."  
"You also have a son who lives here now, right? Daniel. And Alexis, your daughter and grandson in Paris? So, would it be terribly presumptuous for me to ask you to at least consider staying this time?" he smiled briefly, "I hear, the third time's the charm?"  
She smiled and nodded, "I…don't really know. I suppose you're right about Daniel and Alexis. We've recently become a very European family it seems. Brandon, are you serious?"  
He pulled her close for a sweet, intimate kiss. When they parted, he put his head against hers, "Does that answer your question, luv?"  
Betty's family cheered enthusiastically, (and rather loudly) for her at her launch party. Daniel and Claire had arranged for Kylie Monogue to perform a few songs, and there was lots of press and excitement at the East Wintergarden. It was a huge venue, and Betty and even Mr. Dunne had at first had their doubts about filling it at first. However, it was filled to capacity.  
The Meade's helped to stir public interest in "The Ugly Girl/Beautiful Woman", Betty's labor of love. Since she had been in the UK, helping Daniel recover, Claire had conspired with all her contacts from the fashion world, as had Alexis and Daniel to make sure there was plenty of buzz created. By the time she got up to speak, Betty tried not to be nervous, in spite of the enormous crowd.  
She thanked Mr. Dunne, and all the talented people who had helped make the event possible, including Miss. Monogue, who had already performed.  
She took a deep breath, then saw Daniel, smiling ear to ear, just like he had when she had done her fashion show years ago at Mode, and at her Bloby award he had presented to her.  
She smiled back at him, "I feel like I have to thank one special person in particular, and that's Daniel Meade, my former boss. Without Daniel's support and encouragement over the past four and a half years, I wouldn't be standing here at all. In fact, I'd probably still be working at a crummy job in Queens, cleaning up after cats or something.  
This man has done more than anyone, outside my family to help me learn about the world and how people, no matter what background they come from, can all change and grow.  
We may start out as a young, inexperienced girl, with hopes and dreams, but not much else other than ambition, or we may start out as a rich, spoiled, lazy, playboy, with no ambition other than trying to prove something to his father and to step out of his older brother's shadow. But, we all change and hopefully, it can be for the better.  
In either case, Daniel has continued to show me how kind, gentle, and amazingly generous with his time, his thoughtfulness, and his love a man can be.  
I owe him everything. He not only gave me my start four years ago, he well, he gave me a ring…so, I guess that says a lot!  
Thanks, Daniel. I love you. Everybody have a wonderful time tonight and thanks so much for coming!"  
He beamed up at her, blowing her a kiss. The Suarez family and Claire, Alexis, and DJ all cheered wildly again, along with the crowd. She never stopped looking at Daniel as she walked back down to the audience, and gave him a huge kiss.  
"So, I guess the cat's officially out of the bag, now, huh?" he said, smiling while she still kissed him. She nodded, putting her arms around him and sitting carefully on one side of his lap.  
Everyone gathered around the couple, congratulating them and grabbing Betty's hand to see the ring. "Wow! Awesome!"  
Justin shook his head, "Man! I guess I owe Austin $20! I can't believe you couldn't wait till you got your casts off, Daniel! That's so unlike you. I thought sure I was going to win that bet."  
Daniel laughed, kissing Betty on the cheek, "I'm sorry, Justin. What can I say? Four years, three months and six weeks is as long as I could possibly hold out. I've never been a particularly patient man.  
The minute I thought I really had a shot at getting a yes out of your Aunt Betty, I figured I should take advantage of her pity. I don't care if it was in her state of sympathy for me, or whatever it took to make sure I grabbed her up before she changed her mind and took off across some other ocean."

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Yours, Mine, and Ours

Chapter 28: Yours, Mine, and Ours  
Disclaimer: I only 'play' with these characters' lives, I don't own them!  
This is my last planned chapter of this story. I loved having Claire involved and having Daniel and Betty realize just how much they mean to each other. Hope you enjoy!  
Daniel tried his best to hop to the door as he heard the pounding. He only had one more week to go before he got his casts off. He couldn't wait.  
Although, all things considered, he was grateful for the forced solitude and thinking time, since it had caused him to re-think his priorities.  
For one thing, he had learned to use his brain and his words more, rather than charging forward, without thinking first, like he had often done in the past. He was glad he hadn't waited to propose to Betty, for sure.  
He wanted to make sure people at Dunne knew she was 'off the market' as soon as possible. He knew it was insecure of him, but he couldn't help worrying every time she was late getting home from a meeting that she had met some interesting guy and changed her mind about him.  
As he opened the door, without thinking, he instantly regretted doing so. "Marissa. Hi. How are you doing? Any luck in the job hunt yet?" He tried to keep things casual.  
"No! It's not easy, being on the dole, is it, Danny-boy? I guess you're well-to-do, so you don't have to worry about that part. But, me, I've got to hurry and figure something out or my mum and step-dad are threatening not to cover my rent after next month!"  
She came in without being asked and sat on a kitchen chair. "I'm sorry to hear that." He didn't even bother to correct her on his name. "Are you getting any good leads from the job service at least?" He went to sit across from her.  
"None that are any good. They want me to give sponge baths to dirty old men! That doesn't appeal to me much.  
Especially when I know someone like you is just across the hall and could really use a hand from the looks of it. Is your mum here? Or is she out with her fella again?"  
"She and Mr. Geoffrey's are coming by in a few minutes to have lunch with me." he lied, hoping to get rid of her. "Um, listen, I'll put out a few feelers, see if anybody at my rehab place needs a good nurse, Marissa.  
Thanks for stopping by to check on me, but I'm hopping along. I finally get this stuff off next week, so I should be ready to chase Betty around the flat and bother all the neighbors again before you know it.  
You know we're engaged, right?" he was getting an 'icky' feeling from her, a vibe he really didn't like and wishing his lie weren't just a lie right now. Why the hell had he let her in?  
She pulled her chair closer to his and ran her hand up his thigh. "You know, I'm sure I could make you much more comfortable, Danny, darlin'. I am a professional, you know. I have healing hands."  
He grabbed her wrist with his right hand, "Look, Marissa, I'm trying to be nice here, but I don't know how else to say this. I'm NOT interested, okay?  
I love Betty. You've got to know that. So, why do you put yourself and me in an awkward situation? I really think you need to go now."  
She smiled and leaned next to him, whispering, "I'd like to see you make me leave. First off, I think you are just trying to be a good boy and I admire that, I really do. But I've read all about you, luv. We both know you're way too much man for little Betty. What, are you going to do, push me away with only one good hand? Kick me out, with only one good leg?"  
She laughed, "You can't even run away, poor baby."  
She stroked his face, and he flinched, jerking away, and staring at her, "Get out, Marissa! You can't be serious!  
You think just because I can't get around right now you're going to somehow force me into something with you? I don't care what you read about me and my past, either. I'm not that guy anymore and I don't want you.  
I'm only interested in one woman and that's Betty. Leave now, before I have you kicked out of this place and you find yourself not only jobless but homeless!"  
She shook her head, "Fine. I don't stay where I'm not wanted. But, If I were you, I'd be worried about who your sweet little Betty is spending all her late nights with lately.  
She's got some tall guy who's been meeting with her according to my friend at your mom's boyfriend's place, Mode UK.  
They were all over each other. I know you've got needs. I'm sure we'll talk once you are feeling needy enough.  
Just give us a call, luv! Ta!" She leaned down and held his face in her hands, kissing him hard on the mouth. He pushed her away, "Get the hell out of here! Go!" he wiped his mouth.  
A few hours later, his mother and Brandon came, with lunch, talking excitedly. Claire smiled at Daniel, as he had fallen asleep with his head on the kitchen table. He hadn't moved since his little exchange with Marissa.  
She shook his shoulder gently, "Daniel, dear! Wake up! It's late afternoon. How long have you been sleeping? You're going to have to get used to a regular schedule like the rest of us soon, son. You've only got one more week!"  
He rubbed his eyes, "What time is it?"  
"Two forty-five. We brought you back the best Greek food in London. Brandon knows the owner. It's seriously the best baklava I've had since Crete! Here, try some. Always have dessert, first, I say!" She fed him a bite.  
"Mmmm… Yeah. That's really good." He mumbled.  
"Daniel. Are you alright? You seem distracted."  
"Nothing. I just almost got sexually molested by Betty's crazy neighbor and to top it off, she tells me Betty is seeing some guy from Mode! What the hell was she talking about?  
Do you know anything about that, Mom? Has that guy she kissed at the bar been sniffing around her again? That Reggie guy? Doesn't he know she's engaged? Doesn't she?"  
Claire exchanged looks with Brandon, but tried to calm Daniel down. "Daniel, I'm sure there's some reasonable explanation. You know very well Betty is not the kind of girl to cheat on you."  
"Yeah, right, Mom. Just like Dad and you never cheated on each other!" He pulled himself up and got up to go into the bedroom, knocking over a plate.  
"Dammit! I can't wait to actually be a real man again instead of a stupid invalid!" He made his way into the bedroom and managed to slam the door a bit.  
They heard the sound of furniture falling to the ground. Brandon started to go and see if he needed help, but Claire shook her head, holding up her hand,  
"No, I've found with Daniel, it's usually best to give him his space first to sort out his feelings when he's upset. As soon as he calms down, he'll talk about it.  
I have half a mind to go pull out some hair on that Marissa woman, though. How dare she come in here and try to attack Daniel and cause problems between him and Betty!  
I have to admit, though. I did see them once at a restaurant together. I didn't want to butt in by asking Betty why she was having dinner with him.  
I assumed that she was letting him down easy or something. I trust that girl as if she were my own daughter. I know how much she loves Daniel.  
"You know Reggie, Brandon. Do you have any idea what they were meeting about?"  
Brandon shrugged, "He is a financial wiz. He has helped us diversify our assets, and made some excellent suggestions to our advertising department, as well as circulation, to keep us not only afloat in this economy but turning quite a handsome profit.  
He's very loyal to Mode, too. I know for a fact he's turned down quite lucrative offers from Elle and Vogue in the past to stay with us. So, perhaps she is merely picking his brain for advice?"  
Claire shrugged, "Knowing Betty, I'm sure that's all it is. Daniel is very protective and territorial about Betty, though. He always has been.  
He fired one poor boy selling sandwiches at Mode once because she complained about how he fixed the sandwich."  
"Really?"  
She smiled, "Well, obviously, it was really because he thought Betty had a crush on the young man. He later asked her to go to Italy with him.  
Daniel also threatened to fire and gave bad references to another of her ex-boyfriends and he actually punched one boyfriend of hers at a photo shoot!  
He's always been extremely jealous when it comes to Betty. I'm sure now, especially, not being able to get around yet and after proposing to her, he feels like that ring should be like a force field to ward off other men."  
Brandon laughed, "I don't blame him. I think I know how he feels. It's very difficult to watch the woman you love be with any other man. It brings out the cave man in you, makes you want to drag her by her hair and club the other men who come near her."  
She smiled, "I see. How very twenty-first century of you? You feel this way, too?"  
"I think a lot of men do. We just pretend to be more evolved than we really are."  
That night, Betty got home late, again. She came to bed quietly, trying not to disturb Daniel. She slid into bed next to him, and turned to see he was awake. He looked as if he had been crying, but he turned away. "Glad you finally made it home, Betty. Did you have a good time with him?"  
"What? A good time with who? Daniel, what are you talking about? My sales meeting ran late and we just…"  
"Oh, stop it, Betty. I know you were with him, that Reggie guy. Does our history not mean anything to you?  
After all we've been through, you just are willing to throw it away on some stupid British guy you got drunk and frenched at a bar? I really thought I knew you better than that!"  
"Daniel! You think I was cheating on you with Reggie? Seriously? I can't even talk to you right now." She started to get up. He grabbed her arm and she was startled,  
"Wow! You're really working out hard on the wrist strength, huh, Daniel? Should I be jealous of how much time you spend with your rehab therapist, too?  
I seem to remember you lying to me before about being able to walk just so you could hit on your therapist! Making me waste all day chasing down some stupid wheelchair you didn't even really need!  
Maybe we could get Marissa to come and do in home therapy like she keeps bugging me about."  
He put his hand up, "NO! That bitch is never setting foot inside here again, Betty!"  
She looked surprised, "What, you didn't let her come watch you take a bath again, did you Daniel?" she teased.  
"Betty, it's not funny. She came in here and freaked me out. She kept putting her hands all over me and threatening that I couldn't get away from her.  
I yelled at her to get out and she planted one on me before I knew it was coming. Then, she told me about seeing you and Reggie together. So, no, I don't think we'll be sending her an invitation to our wedding."  
Betty's eyes grew wide, "Daniel, you're serious? She tried to rape you and then told you I was cheating on you? That Bitch!"  
He had to smile, "Betty! I don't think I've ever heard you cuss before! It's very cute that you would be so protective of me, sweetie. But I think it might be overshooting it to say she raped me, really.  
She just got handsy and started reminding me of my physical limitations right now. But, okay. I'm sorry. I know I fly off the handle when it comes to other guys.  
So, I'm listening. Please tell me your side of what is or hopefully is NOT really going on with you and that Reggie guy. I promise not to fire him. Well, depending on what you tell me."  
She smiled, "You are worse than I am to keep a secret to, Daniel. I've been looking for a house, okay? Reggie is helping me with the financing because I didn't want to do it based solely on your income.  
I don't ever want you or anyone else to think I'm marrying you for your money. I love you because most of the time, you're the sweetest man I've ever met.  
Of course none of that is based on tonight's behavior, mister get jealous first, ask questions later!"  
He scooped his arm around her and started kissing her, "You found a house for us? Where? Here in Mayfair? It's kind of pricey."  
"I know, that's why I needed Reggie's help. Turns out Henry wasn't the only smart accountant in the world.  
Reggie's a genius and he has some friends in Real Estate who had some fantastic properties I looked at that were on the market for a short time.  
I found one I know you're going to love, Daniel! It even has a huge area you can use as an office for your foundation."  
He kissed her deeply, then grinned, "That's great, Betty, but I didn't really know you wanted to move into a house, babe. Why didn't you tell me?  
We could have waited and gone looking once I'm back on my feet. I hate that I didn't get to see the places with you." He pouted.  
She rolled her eyes, "Don't give me the puppy dog look, Daniel. I'm sorry. I just didn't think we'd have time. I wanted to get started on the…uh…nursery."  
"The what?" his eyes got big.  
"You heard me, annum cara." She smiled, stroking his cheek. "Or should I say, daddy?"


End file.
